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Dedicated 

To 


Sunflower Troop No. 21 

whose cordiality and kindness have 
helped to inspire this story of 

Girl Scouts 


Contents 


I. 

A Parade 

• 

• 

0 


II 

11. 

The Captain of a Troop 

• 

• 


28 

III. 

Knots . 

• 

• 

• 


42 

IV. 

Mother Nature . 

• 

• 

• 


57 

V. 

Herbs . 

• 

• 

• 


71 

VI. 

Pat Juley 

• 

• 

• 


87 

VII. 

A Helping Hand . 

• 

• 

• 


104 

VIII. 

Socks and Sweaters 

• 

• 

• 


119 

IX. 

The Way Out 

• 

• 

• 


134 

X. 

Lizzie’s Good Work 

• 


• 


150 

XL 

Pies an’ Things 

• 

• 

• 


165 

XII. 

Cans and a Canticle 

. 

• 

• 


182 

XIII. 

The Little Brown House 

• 

• 


196 

XIV. 

Queer Pets . 

. 

• 

• 


213 

XV. 

Helping the Helpers 

• 

• 

• 


229 

XVI. 

A Week-End 

. 

• 

• 


246 

XVII. 

Fliers and Where They Flew 

• 


261 

XVIII. 

Adopting an Orphan 

• 

• 

• 


274 

XIX. 

A New Troop • 

• 

• 

• 


290 

XX. 

Last Things . • 

• 

• 

• 


307 


f 




A Girl Scout of Red Rose 
Troop 

CHAPTER I 

A PARADE 

I F any one had told Carol Fenwick that Sat- 
urday morning in May what would happen 
before the day was out she would not have rubbed 
her eyes and have turned over to take another 
forty winks. As it was she took the forty winks, 
answered sleepily her mother’s: “Carol, aren’t 
you ever going to get up? ” and finally sat up, 
sighed, then made a bounce out of bed. Even in 
a down-town apartment it was too fine a day for 
sleeping late, Carol, herself, decided as she 
looked out of the window on to the narrow street 
and saw the sun, striking the tall building oppo- 
site, and already beginning to dry the line of 
clothes an ambitious woman had washed and 
hung out thus early. Children were laughing 
and romping in the street. Hawkers were cry- 
ing “ Strawberries! ” in raucous tones. A rag- 
11 


12 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 


man’s jangling bells accompanied the rattle of 
his push-cart. From a little distance came the 
shrill whistles of crafts upon the river. The 
rumble of elevated trains, and the increasing roar 
of city noises in one confused jumble of sound, 
made an imderlying accompaniment for all the 
rest. 

When Carol appeared in the kitchen her 
mother had already started the simple breakfast. 
The buzzing of the dumb-waiter bell announced 
the arrival of the morning’s milk which Carol pro- 
ceeded to remove from the shelf with the bread 
which was already there. “ Where’s Dick? ” 
asked Carol as she began setting the table. “ He 
came in late, didn’t he? I thought I heard him, 
but I was sleepy and didn’t notice the time.” 

“ It was pretty late,” answered her mother, 
“ but he is up. He has gone down to take in the 
paper. Here he comes.” 

The click of a key in the door announced 
Dick’s arrival. He was a tall lad with steady 
eyes, a rather grave face, which, however, lighted 
up wonderfully when he smiled, and with a spare, 
muscular frame. “ Hello, sis,” he greeted his 
sister, but with his gaze fixed upon the head-lines 
of the paper. 

“ Dick is so absorbed in the news that he can’t 


A PAEADE 


13 


see that we have rice pone for breakfast,” re- 
marked Carol, smiling. 

Dick laid down the paper. “ The news gets a 
bigger and bigger hold of a fellow,” he asserted. 
“ Good stuff, that corn bread. Going to see the 
parade to-day, Caro? ” 

“ Is there a parade? ” she asked. “ It is hard 
to keep track of them, there are so many now- 
adays.” 

“ But this isn’t any little no-’count affair; it 
is a big one. It is the Wake up America parade, 
and I am going to be in it, so look out for me in 
Company A.” 

“ If you are going to be in it of course I shall 
want to see it,” returned Carol. “ I may go, 
mayn’t I, mother? I forgot, Dick, that last 
night was when there was a special something or 
other going on at the armory. Didn’t it keep 
you out awfully late? It seems to me that I 
went to sleep, or started to go, with the rat-a-tat- 
tat of drums ringing in my ears.” 

“ We were late,” replied Dick, helping him- 
self to butter, “ and you were right in saying it 
was an extra occasion, for a lot of us got worked 
up to a true patriotic frenzy. I might as well 
tell you without making any further to-do about 
it that I shall not only be in the parade but that 


14 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 


I am to be a real soldier. I am not going to wait 
to be drafted. I don't intend to be called a 
slacker, so — I have enlisted.” He shot a quick 
glance at his mother as he helped himself to 
another piece of corn bread. 

Carol sprang to her feet. “ You have enlisted ! 
How splendid ! I am proud of you, Mr. Richard 
Fenwick. I salute you. I wish I were a man 
so I could go too.” 

“ And leave your mother with not a chick nor 
child? ” Mrs. Fenwick repressed a sigh, but 
looked up smilingly. Her son was watching her 
keenly. 

“ You want me to go, don’t you, mother? ” he 
asked. 

He did not see the hands tightly clenched in 
her lap; he only heard her say brightly: “ Of 
course I want you to go, my boy. I’d be a poor 
sort of mother who was not able to be a patriot 
as well as a mother.” 

“ There is the camp training first, three months 
of it. Wouldn’t it be fine if I should get a com- 
mission? ” 

“ And wear stripes on your sleeve, and have 
a company of men to boss,” Carol broke in. 

Dick laughed. “ I don’t think I am taking 
the bossing part into consideration,” he said. 


A PAEADE 


15 


“ But you like to boss me,” Carol retorted. 

“ Oh, but you’re nothing but a little girl,” 
he returned teasingly. 

“ I wish I were a boy, then, so I could march 
behind a band of music and wear a uniform and 
do something for my country,” she answered. 

“ There will be a chance for you to do the 
latter,” said her mother, “ even if you can’t do 
it in uniform. You will have to look around 
and see if you can find an opportunity of work- 
ing in some way.” 

“ I could learn to knit, I suppose,” returned 
Carol rather dolefully. “ Knitting is all right, 
of course, but it is such silent, stupid work, such 
sitting down work. I’d like to do something 
stirring and martial.” 

“ I’ll get you a flag and you can march around 
the block with the Hennesy boys and the little 
Morellos,” said Dick, still with desire to tease. 

“ I’d like to shake you,” said Carol fiercely. 
“You just act as if girls weren’t any account at 
all. I’d like to show you ” 

“ There, there, never mind,” chided her mother. 
“ Run out and get some hot corn bread. It is 
not so bad for having been made with but one 
egg in it.” 

“ It’s prime,” returned Dick. “ I hope I shall 


16 A GIEL SCOUT OP BED BOSE TBOOP 


get as good food at camp, though I don’t care 
if I happen not to. One mustn’t expect to be 
coddled these days.” 

The breakfast talk continued spasmodically 
with efforts on Mrs. Fenwick’s part to appear 
as usual, with a rapid fire of questions from 
Carol, and with more or less excited remarks 
from Dick, then lapses into silence. At last 
Dick pushed back his chair and went over to 
give his mother the usual parting kiss. She held 
his face close against hers for a moment before 
she let him go. “ God bless you, dear,” she 
whispered. “ I am proud of my son.” 

He went out without looking back, but with 
head up and shoulders squared. 

As the door closed behind him Carol crept to 
her mother’s side and kissed the eyelids closed to 
hide the unshed tears. “ You are just as brave 
as can be,” faltered Carol. “ I want to cry 
awfully, for all I am so proud of him, but we 
mustn’t let him know anything but the proud 
part, must we, mother? ” 

“ We must not, dear. No, we women can do 
our part by being brave and encouraging our 
soldier boys; we can do that much for our 
country.” 

“ And we can be knitting. I wish that kind 


A PAEADB 


17 


of work were more exciting. I wish there were 
something a girl could do besides knitting. If 
we had only a tiny little bit of place like Nell 
Burke’s I could have a wee garden, but in an old 
apartment house just as close to its next door 
neighbor as it can be stuck, how could one raise 
even one turnip? One turnip as big as Mr. 
Finney’s, that Longfellow wrote about, would 
feed a whole lot of people.” She laughed, then 
went about clearing the table. “ At any rate,” 
she continued her chatter, “ I am going to find 
something more than knitting to do. I don’t 
care how or where, but I’ll do it, you’ll see if I 
don’t. I’ll show Master Dick that a girl can 
help as well as a boy. Of course I don’t mean 
that I won’t learn to knit, but I’ll do it when I 
can’t do the other thing, when I want to sit down. 
It is all right for these sober, quiet people 
that aren’t active and young to want to knit 
eternally.” 

“ But if it should be that the knitting were the 
only and the best thing you could do, wouldn’t 
you be willing to devote yourself to that? ” in- 
quired her mother. 

Carol gave this question a moment’s considera- 
tion before she replied: “Well, I suppose I 
would have to be willing, but I would be rebelling 


18 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 


and sacrificing inside all the time, and wishing 
all sorts of horrid things that I ought not to 
wish.” 

Her mother laughed. “ If that were the case 
let us hope that you may find the other thing 
that you so ardently desire. Now if you want 
to get off to see that parade you mustn’t stand 
still and talk, for you mustn’t neglect duty for 
pleasure, and there is the usual morning work 
to do.” 

“ Are you going, mother? ” Carol began to 
scurry around busily. 

Mrs. Fenwick hesitated before answering: 
“ No, I think not. You know I don’t like 
crowds and I have some work on hand that must 
be finished promptly. There is always plenty 
to do at home.” 

“ I know that,” said Carol soberly. “ But I 
may go? I’ll get hold of Nell Burke and we 
can go together. You know that nice old cousin 
of hers, the one who is a bookkeeper or something 
in one of the big shops on the Avenue; he can 
always find us a place so we won’t have to stand 
on the street. He is always so nice and polite 
though he is quite an old man — fifty, I should 
thinli.” 

Her mother smiled at the idea of an old 


A PAEADE 


19 


man at fifty, but gave her consent to Carol’s 
plan. 

This settled, while she was drying the dishes 
Carol’s lively mind traveled off in another direc- 
tion. “ If Dick goes away shall we keep this 
flat? ” she asked. 

“ That is a question yet to be considered,” was 
the reply. “We have taken it by the year, but 
there is a possibility that we could sublet it. I 
am afraid, however, that we would stand little 
chance of doing so in summer, and in winter we 
must be in the city on account of your school and 
my work.” 

“ I’ll tell you what we could do,” returned 
Carol with sudden inspiration; “ we could fix up 
Dick’s room, or I could take that and we could 
rent mine.” 

“ So we could. I hadn’t thought of that. 
We shall need to do something to help out if 
Dick goes, and everything is so high nowadays. 
It is a first-rate idea. There now, run along. 
I’ll finish these pans and you can attend to mak- 
ing the beds. If you want to get off you mustn’t 
waste any more time.” 

Carol ran off singing, and flew around so 
energetically that she soon finished the morning’s 
work in the rooms and was ready to start off. 


20 A GIEL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 


Her mother was already at work upon the design- 
ing she was doing for a large shop, and after 
charging Carol to be back as early as she could 
went on with her pencil and brush. 

Carol ran down the three flights of stairs to 
the street. The fresh May morning gave hints 
of spring even here in the closely crowded city. 
Infrequent trees were showing their young 
leaves. The organ-grinders were at it with airs 
from Trovatore, and, to Carol’s better liking, 
Tipperary. Italian fruit vendors trundled along 
their carts, crying “ E banany ! ” and traffic 
everywhere was in full swing. 

A couple of blocks away lived Carol’s special 
pal, Helen Burke, quite as wide-awake a young 
person as Carol herself. The two usually met 
at the corner of the street that they might walk 
to school together, and parted there when they 
were returning home. Just now Helen was to 
be found setting out tomato plants in what she 
was pleased to call her garden, a spot which Carol 
envied her greatly and in which she was much 
interested. A tiny strip of earth next the apart- 
ment house in which Helen lived had been given 
over by the owner for the use of those flat 
dwellers who chose to cultivate it. Helen, who 
lived on the first floor, was one of the first to 


A PAEADE 


21 


claim a right to the little plat of earth, six feet 
square, and had toiled over it industriously. 

“ Hello, Nello,” cried Carol as she came in 
sight of her friend. “ You there? ” 

“ Here-o, Caro,” replied Helen, this being the 
usual form of greeting. If it were Helen who 
called it was: “ Where-o, Caro? ” and the answer 
to that was: “ Hello, Nello.” 

“ What you doing? ” inquired Carol, looking 
down upon Helen’s growing patch. 

“ Putting in tomato plants,” replied Helen 
proudly. “ There is only room for six, for dad 
says they will grow tremendously, so I mustn’t 
crowd them too much. It is quite time to put 
them in, they say. Dad got them for me. Just 
look, Caro, at the radishes and lettuce. Aren’t 
they just jumping along? They will soon be 
ready to eat. What are you all dressed up 
for? ” 

“ The parade. Don’t you know? The Wake 
up America parade. It is going to be perfectly 
fine. Aren’t you going to see it? ” 

“ I forgot all about it.” Helen spatted her 
hands together, but seemed to take more interest 
in the tomato plants than in the parade. ‘‘ I was 
going to stay home this morning and weed the 
garden,” she spoke doubtfully. 


22 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 


“ Oh, but,” Carol drew a long breath, “ I’ve 
so much to tell you. Do, please, come with me. 
I thought maybe your cousin, Mr. Devins, would 
let us go into his office, for, oh, Nell, what do 
you think? Dick is to be in the parade. He is 
a really, truly soldier now, for he has enlisted. 
He told us this morning.” 

“ Really? ” Helen was interested now. “ Of 
course I will go. The weeds can wait, although 
I reckon they won’t do that exactly; they will 
just grow apace. Ill weeds grow apace is a 
proverb or something, isn’t it? and it is a pretty 
true one. It is to be a big parade, isn’t it? ” 

“ Oh, dear, yes. All sorts of big people and 
things are to be in it. There will be thousands 
and thousands of things to see; we shouldn’t 
miss it.” 

All this was sufficiently thrilling to urge Nell 
to make haste. “ Of course Cousin Ned will find 
us a spot,” she said, “ even if he has to plant us 
as models in the show windows with a new style 
of sport suit on. We shan’t have to stand on 
the sidewalk, I’m sure.” 

“I’d stand on the sidewalk or anywhere to see 
the President and Dick,” declared Carol. 

“ It is a wonder that you didn’t put Dick first,’* 
said Helen laughing. 


A PAEADE 


23 


“ I don’t know but I should,” returned Carol 
gravely, “ for he belongs specially to me while 
the President belongs to everybody. Do you 
know that somehow I didn’t take it in that this 
was such an important parade. We hear so 
much about commissions and speeches and all 
sorts of things that you don’t pay much attention, 
but listen, child, when I did realize what a big 
affair this was to be I just couldn’t wait, and I 
was so afraid you wouldn’t want to go.” 

This hastened Helen’s movements, so before 
long the two girls were hurrying off to the nearest 
elevated railway station, and after pushing their 
way into a crowded train, they hung on to straps 
till they reached the heart of the shopping dis- 
trict. Here the sidewalks were thronged with 
expectant people. The streets were gay with 
decorations. Flags were flying from nearly 
every window from which looked out tiers of 
faces. Carol and Helen elbowed their way to 
the big store where they hoped to gain a point 
of outlook, and they were not disappointed, for 
smiling Cousin Ned took them to a window 
which he had reserved for his own family. Here, 
mounted upon chairs, they looked over the heads 
of Mr. Devins’s wife, sister-in-law, and married 
daughter, but were able to get an unobstructed 


24 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

view, and probably among the mass of spectators 
were few more enthusiastic. 

“ Please everybody look out for Dick,” ex- 
claimed Carol. “ I am so afraid I shall miss him, 
and it is so confusing where there are such 
swarms of men.” But see him they did in spite 
of the fact that he was one of many. He glanced 
quickly up, for he suspected where they might 
be, and although in that sea of faces he failed to 
recognize his sister she had the great satisfaction 
of recognizing him and wildly waved her hand- 
kerchief over Mrs. Devins’s head. 

Carriages passed, more ranks of marching 
soldiers and marines, then suddenly Carol 
clutched Nell. “ See, see those girls,” she cried. 
“ Don’t they march well? I wonder who and 
what they are. What wouldn’t I give to be one 
of them ! ” 

“ Why, don’t you know? Those are the Girl 
Scouts,” replied Helen, looking down on the 
khaki-clad group stepping bravely along with 
military precision. “ They are fine, aren’t they? ” 

“ But why are they there? What do they do? 
Who lets them go in the procession? Could any 
girl be a Scout? Why haven’t I known about 
them? ” The questions tumbled out eagerly. 

“ They do all sorts of things, I believe, but 


A PAEADE 


25 


specially they are supposed to help their country. 
You know about them, don’t you, Miss Lard- 
ner? ” Helen appealed to Mrs. Devins’s sister, 
who turned to look up at the bright faces above 
her. 

“ Why, yes,” she replied, “ I do know some- 
thing about them for I have a friend who is cap- 
tain of a troop.” 

“How lovely that sounds: ‘captain of a 
troop,’ ” cried Carol, clasping her hands. “ Do 
tell us some more. Miss Lardner.” 

“Well, let me see: I believe there are three 
ranks: Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class. 
There are certain laws which they promise to 
obey. A girl makes a promise on her honor to 
do three things: to do her duty to God and her 
country, to help other people at all times, and to 
obey the laws of the Scouts.” 

“ How fine that is,” murmured Carol. “ It 
sounds rather hard, but it is great, just the same. 
Tell us. Miss Lardner, can any girl belong? ” 

“ Any girl of ten years or older who can take 
the test and is willing to make the promise. 
She cannot be a lieutenant until she is at least 
eighteen, nor a captain till she is twenty-one.” 

“ I’d adore to be an officer,” sighed Carol, “ but 
I’ll have to wait for I’m only thirteen now.” 


26 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 


Miss Lardner smiled. “ I think you will not 
find five years too long for the training you would 
require.” 

“ Do you know — didn’t you say that you knew 
a captain of a troop? How many are there in 
a troop? ” 

“ A patrol can be organized with as few as six 
or eight; two or more patrols constitute a troop. 
I will tell you what you girls had better do: come 
to my house next Friday. Miss Corning is com- 
ing to tea, and she can tell you much more than 
I can. I am interested because she is, but I 
really do not know much more than I have told 
you.” 

“ Oh, Miss Lardner,” cried Carol, stooping 
over to kiss the bow which adorned the top of 
Miss Lardner’s hat, “how dear you are! I’d 
just adore to come. Wouldn’t you, Nell? ” 

“ Well, I guess! ” returned Nell, too much in 
earnest to be elegant. 

The interest the two girls took in the remainder 
of the parade was very slight. All the main 
features had gone by, and the little party in the 
window decided to start for home before the 
crowds should make it impossible to find seats 
in the cars. “ I can scarcely wait till Friday,” 
declared Carol as she gave Miss Lardner a part- 


A PAEADE 


27 


ing squeeze. “ You are too lovely for words to 
have us meet Miss Corning. I am simply crazy 
about it.” 

The President, the marching men, the gay 
decorations were topics which were all set aside 
on the way home, for all the two girls could talk 
about was the Girl Scouts. 


CHAPTER II 


THE CAPTAIN OF A TROOP 

HAT the two girls arrived at Miss Lardner’s 



A apartment as early as might be, goes with- 
out the saying. Miss Corning, however, was by 
no means so prompt, and the two enthusiastic 
young persons began to fear that she was not 
coming at all. “ Wouldn’t it be dreadful if she 
had forgotten? ” Carol whispered to Helen. 

But just as they had given her up she ap- 
peared, a bright-eyed young woman with rosy 
cheeks, and an air of bustling energy. “ So 
sorry to be so late,” she said, “ but I had to wait 
so long for a car; there must have been a block 
somewhere. If you will live so far up-town, 
Alice, my dear, you must expect the friends you 
invite to lunch to arrive at dinner time.” 

“ Then they would have to have the lunch 
warmed over for dinner,” replied Miss Lardner. 
“ Tea is a different thing, so sit down and have 
a cup. These are the two possible Girl Scouts 
I told you about. Helen is a sort of niece and 


28 


THE CAPTAIN OF A TEOOP 


29 


Carol is her best friend. They are nearly ex- 
piring with anxiety for fear you would not get 
here at all.” 

Miss Corning beamed on the two girls. “ I 
am so glad you are interested,” she said. “ The 
Girl Scouts are great. The movement is spread- 
ing tremendously. Now tell me just what you 
would like to know and I will enlighten you.” 

“We want to know everything,” declared 
Carol. 

“ Everything implies such a lot,” answered 
Miss Corning, beginning to sip her tea. “ You 
just begin to ask me questions and then we shall 
probably get at the whole thing before we are 
through.” 

Carol looked at Helen. “ What do we want 
to know first? ” she asked. 

“ I want to know how they came to be at all,” 
began Helen. 

“ And what they are expected to do,” Carol 
continued. 

“ And if it is very hard to get up a — a troop,” 
Helen went on. 

“ And if it costs very much,” Carol was ready. 

“ And if you have to wait very long before 
you can wear a uniform,” Helen followed. 

“ Dear, dear, that is enough to begin with,” 


30 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

exclaimed Miss Corning. “ I shall have to talk 
very fast in order to get through at all, if you 
keep on at this rate. Now, to start with: The 
movement was started in England where Sir 
Robert Baden-Powell formed the first troops of 
Boy Scouts. Such a large number of girls 
wanted to belong, too, that Sir Robert’s sister 
founded another organization which was called 
Girl Guides, and some time after Mrs. Juliette 
Low started the movement in Savannah, Georgia. 
Later on the name was changed to Girl Scouts 
because the ten Scout laws were those followed. 
Now I think I have answered your first question. 
For the second I shall have to say that there are 
many, many things which a Girl Scout can do, 
but the three things which she is obliged on her 
honor to promise are that she will do her duty 
to God and her country, to help other people at 
all times, to obey the laws of the Scouts. The 
Girl Scout motto is: ‘Be Prepared.’ You see 
that when she is put upon her honor it is a very 
serious thing and she must not undertake to make 
the promises lightly. Now, let me see what 
comes next? ” 

“ About getting up a troop,” reminded Helen. 

“ A patrol, you mean. A patrol is part of a 
troop. Where there are eight girls, who can get 


THE CAPTAIH OF A TEOOP 


31 


a proper captain, a patrol can be started. The 
captain selects the lieutenant, and the girls elect 
a patrol leader. It seems to work better to have 
the girls about the same age; they can do the 
team work more satisfactorily.” 

“ Dear me, Bess, your tea is getting cold and 
you haven’t eaten one sandwich yet,” Miss Lard- 
ner interrupted. 

“ Oh, never mind,” she replied. “ Let us get 
through with this subject first, and then I can 
enjoy your delicious things to my heart’s content. 
Just one or two things more, girls, and then we 
can eat, drink and be merry. Where were we? 
Oh, yes, I remember. No, Carol, it doesn’t cost 
much, for many of the girls are far, far from 
being wealthy. My own troop, for instance, 
meets in a settlement house on the east side, and 
all are from poor families.” 

“ Couldn’t we begin a patrol unless we had 
eight girls to join? ” asked Carol. 

“ Oh, yes, you could begin one, but it would 
not be a full patrol until there were eight. It 
would take a month for you to learn to pass the 
first tests which would then allow you to become 
a Tenderfoot and go into training for the next 
rank. When you are regularly enrolled as a 
Scout you can wear the uniform.” 


32 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

The girls gave long sighs of content, and were 
ready to ask a hundred more questions, but Miss 
Lardner came out with the peremptory order: 
“ Now, not another question till Miss Corning 
has had her tea. In the meantime, Bess, sup- 
pose you lend the girls your handbook to look 
over; that should keep them quiet till you have 
a chance to breathe.” 

“ But, Aunt Alice, you know you asked us to 
come so we could ask questions,” said Helen in an 
aggrieved tone. 

Miss Lardner laughed. “ So I did, but I 
didn’t expect you to do nothing else.” She took 
the book which Miss Corning drew from her bag 
and handed it over to the girls. “ There now ; 
that should keep you absorbed for some time to 
come,” she said. “ I think you will find out all 
you want to know in the little book. Won’t 
they, Bess? ” 

“ Oh, surely, though to confess the truth, 
Alice, I like to do the talking.” 

The girls took the book over to a window seat 
and with heads together began poring over it 
while Miss Corning and Miss Lardner talked in 
low tones. Once in a while the girls caught a 
sentence or two, but they were too deeply in- 
terested to pay much attention, though they were 


THE CAPTAIN OP A TEOOP 33 

dinily conscious that Miss Corning was arguing 
some point and that Miss Lardner did not fully 
agree with her. Finally they heard the latter 
say: “ Well, I’ll think about it. I will see what 
mother says.” 

“ Just let me get at her and I know she will 
come over to my side of thinking,” declared Miss 
Corning. “ Well, girls, what have you dis- 
covered? Do you still want to be Girl Scouts? ” 
she asked, turning to Carol and Helen. 

“ Oh, more than ever,” they replied with one 
accord. 

“ Then you begin your patrol right now with 
you two. You may take the little book home 
with you and return it when you have copies of 
your own.” 

“ Oh, Miss Corning, how lovely!” they both 
exclaimed. “ What must we do next? ” 

“ Look about among your girl friends and find 
out if any more want to join you. In the mean- 
time I will see what can be done about a captain 
for you. Captains, at least proper ones, are few 
and far between, but I have some one in mind, if 
she only will toe the mark. Couldn’t you bring 
these girls to see my troop next Monday evening, 
Alice? I believe they might learn a lot, and you, 
too.” 


34 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 


Miss Lardner laughed. “ For real, true self- 
appreciation commend me to Elizabeth Corn- 
ing,” she said. 

“ It isn’t self-approval ; it is simply enthusi- 
asm,” retorted Miss Corning. “ A little of the 
same quality would do you good; that is why I 
want you to come.” 

“ You might send me a handbook, meanwhile,” 
suggested Miss Lardner, “ so that I can get some 
idea of what stunts your girls are doing.” 

“ Send it? Well, rather. I see you marching 
my way, Alice Lardner. You will be doing your 
bit yet.” 

“ As if I were not doing it already,” returned 
Miss Lardner indignantly. 

But Miss Corning only laughed and teasingly 
said that doing a little more would not hurt her. 
Then she took her departure, leaving two enthusi- 
astic girls behind her. 

“ Isn’t she perfectly lovely, Miss Alice? ” cried 
Carol. “ I do wish we could have a captain like 
her.” 

“ How near like her do you suppose I might 
be? ” asked Miss Lardner smiling. 

“Oh, Miss Alice! Would you — could you? 
We’d simply love to have you,” said Helen, pre- 
cipitating herself upon the young lady. 


THE CAPTAIN OF A TEOOP 


35 


“ Do you really mean it? ” inquired Carol, 
edging close to Helen. 

“ Well, I am thinking about it. Bess has been 
urging me for some time to prepare myself for 
taking a troop.” 

“ Then that is what she meant about your 
marching her way,” said Helen. 

“ Exactly, and that was one reason I wanted 
you girls to come up this afternoon. I really 
haven’t let Miss Corning know just how much I 
have been doing, nor how seriously I have been 
thinking about it, for if I decided against it I 
knew she would be disappointed.” 

“ But you really have made up your mind 
now, haven’t you? ” Carol questioned eagerly. 
“ And you are going to begin a patrol with Helen 
and me, aren’t you? ” 

“ You know the motto is " Be Prepared,’ ” put 
in Helen gravely. 

Miss Lardner laughed. “ So you don’t mean 
to lose any time about it. Well, I think you are 
right, for this war will give the women more and 
more to do, and we older ones should help you 
younger ones.” 

“ Then you really, really mean that we can 
begin to be Girl Scouts this very minute,” ex*> 
claimed Carol, clasping her hands joyously. 


36 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

“ Oh, don't let us say that. We will see Miss 
Coming’s troop first, and in the meantime you 
must read the little handbook and find out if you 
think you are going to be equal to the conditions. 
I will work, too, and will find out all about 
the preliminaries. The reason, at least one 
of the reasons, I have hesitated about taking 
this up is that it demands a lot of time if one 
would be a conscientious captain, and I have 
not been quite sure how much time I could 
spare.” 

The girls looked sober. “ If there is anything 
we could do to help you,” began Carol hesi- 
tatingly. 

“ Bless your dear heart,” exclaimed Miss Lard- 
ner. “ There isn’t in the direction I mean, but 
when we get started I haven’t a doubt but you 
can help a great deal.” 

“ She said when we get started, Helen,” cried 
Carol ecstatically. “ Did you hear that? She 
didn’t say 

“ Oh, dear! Oh, dear!” cried Miss Lardner. 
“ I shall have to be on my guard, I see.” 

“ Well, at any rate,” Helen urged, “ it is more 
than perhaps ; it is even more than probable ; it is 
almost really and truly, isn’t it? It is as near as 
that, isn’t it? ” 


THE CAPTAIK OP A TEOOP 


37 


“ You certainly do pin a body down/’ returned 
Miss Lardner smiling. 

“ Oh, but we do so much want to know. It is 
so awfully important to us,” Helen went on. 
“ Can’t you say this much, Miss Alice? If we 
think, and you think, after reading the book, that 
we can do it, and if we aren’t disappointed when 
we have seen Miss Coming’s troop, we can begin 
right away.” 

“ That very day,” put in Carol eagerly. 

Miss Lardner thought about it earnestly for 
a few moments before she would reply, while the 
girls watched her anxiously. 

“ I suppose I might as well decide now as well 
as any other time,” she said finally. “ Well, 
then, if all seems favorable I think I may say 

yes. ” She held up a warning hand as the girls 
seemed liable to smother her with hugs. “ Re- 
member, it may not come out satisfactorily. 
There is still a thread of doubt.” 

“ But it is such a tiny, thin little thread,” said 
Carol, “ that I am sure it would be very easy to 
break it. Miss Alice, may we begin to-morrow 
to look up more girls so we can soon have a full 
patrol? ” 

“ I don’t believe we would better do that just 

yet, ” was the reply. 


38 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

“ But we can tell about it, kind of, sort of 
sound the girls at school, can’t we? We could 
say: Would you like to be a Girl Scout if you 
could? That wouldn’t be anything; it would be 
like saying would you like an ice-cream cone if 
you could get it? ” 

“ As if any girl would say no to that,” re- 
marked Helen. “ It would be more as if you 
were to say: Would you like to be an opera singer 
or an artist or something like that.” 

“ I shouldn’t like to be an opera singer,” Carol 
decided. “ I would be scared to come out before 
a whole lot of people and sing.” 

“ I should think you would,” replied Helen 
giggling. 

Carol began to pound her. “ Of course I 
don’t mean that I could do it, sing, I mean, you 
horrid little wretch. You aren’t taking this 
seriously at all, and it is very serious, isn’t it. Miss 
Alice? ” 

“ It is serious in parts, though some of it is 
quite fun, I should think.” 

“ Well, but please tell me if you think it would 
be any harm to — to interest some of the girls? ” 

“ No, I don’t think it would.” 

“ Good! Now we are all right, Helen, and I 
shall go home quite happy. Won’t Dick open 


THE CAPTAIN OF A TEOOP 


39 


his eyes when I tell him I am going to wear khaki 
and march in a parade? ” 

“ Oh, but dear child, you mustn’t think too 
much about that part,” Miss Lardner warned 
her. 

“ Dear Miss Alice, I won’t think too much, but 
I can’t help thinking just a little. You won’t 
mind. Captain dear, if I do, will you? ” 

“ Not if you think most about the other part.” 
“ I’ll try to. If I get to smiling too much at 
the picture of Carol Fenwick swinging down the 
Avenue in a parade, I will try to make another 
picture of her sitting dolefully knitting.” 

“ Not dolefully, I hope. Look on page 8 at 
Law 9.” Miss Lardner handed over the manual 
which she had been examining. 

Carol took it and read: “‘A Girl Scout is 
cheerful.’ Oh, dear,” she sighed, “ here’s where 
that little thread of doubt begins to come in. I 
begin to see what you mean. Miss Lardner, and 
that a lot of it is going to be serious.” She stood 
looking at the book for a moment, then she went 
on: “ But I want it to be serious. I want to be 
just as much of a soldier as Dick is. I shall feel 
very proud when I can salute like a soldier and 
know it is because I am on my honor, that I am 
loyal and all the other things.” 


40 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

“ Bless you, dear child. Your saying that 
makes me want all the more to be your cap- 
tain. Now, you and Helen eat up the rest of 
those sandwiches, if you can, while I take out 
the tea things. Mother will be coming in 
directly.” 

“ Oh, it must be getting late,” exclaimed Carol. 
“ I have been so interested that I didn’t notice. 
We really must go, for we shall have a hard time 
getting home with the cars so crowded at this time 
of day.” 

“ Shall we call for you on Monday?” asked 
Helen as they were leaving. 

“ Let me see,” responded Miss Lardner. 
“ Suppose you come up and have dinner with 
me. We can then talk over things a little and 
I will see to it that you get safely home. It will 
be rather late, I think, when the meeting is over. 
Can you do that? ” 

“ Oh, I am sure I can,” returned Helen. 

“ And I am pretty sure I can,” Carol added. 
“ Of course I shall have to ask mother.” 

“ Which of course I should want you to do. 
Then if she agrees I hope to see you both here by 
half-past six on Monday.” 

“ Good-bye and thank you a thousand times 
for this afternoon, Captain dear,” said Carol. 


THE CAPTAIN OF A TEOOP 41 

“ Not yet. I may not be able to answer the 
requirements.” 

Oh, but you will, you will. Please don’t 
say such a dreadful thing.” Carol threw her 
arms around her. 

Miss Lardner kissed her. “ Well, dear, I can 
promise you that I shall try.” 

So they went off quite happy, Helen taking a 
little credit to herself for having a first claim 
upon Miss Lardner. “ She is really a sort of 
relation,” she said, “ for her sister married my 
cousin.” 

Carol was disposed to resent this for a moment, 
but decided that it was not a matter of much 
importance and retorted by saying: “Well, at 
any rate she will not be any more your captain 
than she is mine,” a fact which Helen could not 
well deny. 


CHAPTER III 


KNOTS 


HUS was begun Red Rose Troop, and it 



A seemed to Carol and Helen that every day 
unfolded some new interest, some form of 
activity, some exciting piece of information. It 
may be said that once Miss Lardner had decided 
to take up the work she went into it heart and 
soul, for she was not one who did things by 
halves; indeed Miss Corning said that she bid 
fair to outstrip her in devising ways and means 
of helping and amusing her girls. It may be 
said in passing that Miss Lardner’s mother had 
something to do with this, as she was as interested 
in the girls as her daughter was, and made many 
of the suggestions which the latter carried out. 
She helped, too, in the training which Miss 
Lardner took in order to be ready to become a 
leader, and many an hour did the mother and 
daughter spend over the handbook, or in tying 
knots and learning the code of signaling and 
semaphore. Mrs. Lardner became so fascinated 
with the signaling that her daughter declared that 


42 


KNOTS 


43 


it was with difficulty that she was able to per- 
suade her to carry on any conversation without 
using the code. Mrs. Lardner, however, denied 
any such extreme as this. 

In its beginning the patrol met at the captain’s 
apartment, but the number so quickly grew to 
eight, while others were eager to make up a 
second patrol, that some larger meeting place 
had to be thought of. Carol and Helen had this 
on their minds one day when they were sitting 
together busily practising the tying of knots. 

“Oh, bother!” exclaimed Helen. “I am 
getting all mixed up over this running bowline; 
I thought I knew it perfectly. Can you do it, 
Carol?” 

“ I have tried it, but I’m not sure I can do it 
without the book. It wasn’t one of the four I 
took for my test.” 

“ Same here, but I want to learn them all. 
Some of the girls know every one.” 

“ Then either they can’t practise much else, or 
they don’t do any knitting,” declared Carol. “ I 
think knots are awfully interesting, but I am 
simply crazy to learn signaling. I mean to sur- 
prise Dick when he comes home on leave, but it 
is hard.” 

“ I think we should give most of our spare time 


44 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

to learning the code because it is hard,” returned 
Helen. “We can do knots any old time when 
we are not together, but I think we should try 
the signaling when there are two of us. We can 
take turns in receiving and giving the signals. 
Suppose we try it now.” 

“ Just wait till I get this into my brain,” 

replied Carol. “ Let me see ” 

“ Which one are you trying? ” 

“ The slip knot; I always seem to pull the 
wrong end. There, now I have it. Where are 
the flags? Oh, I see. I wish we had more 
room.” 

“ Speaking of room,” said Helen, gathering up 
her rope, “ I wonder how Miss Alice is going to 
manage about the new patrol. There are four 
already and two more who want to come in; that 
will make fourteen in the troop.” 

“ Oh, haven’t you heard? We are to have the 
big schoolroom on Saturday afternoons. It is 
mighty cozy and nice up in Miss Alice’s apart- 
ment but we never can play any real jumping 
about games.” 

“ How did you find all that out? ” 

“ One of the girls told me. She said Miss 
Alice had been to see Miss Watson, and that she 
was quite enthusiastic about it when she found 


KNOTS 


45 


out how many girls were ready to come in. I 
believe we shall have a big troop after a while.” 

“ That will be great. I speak to signal first, 
Carol. You stand off as far as you can.” 

“ Don’t give me anything too hard to begin 
with.” 

“ All right, but I want to give something use- 
ful, for there is no use in wasting time over 
nonsense. Lots of the girls won’t take it seri- 
ously at all, and want to signal such silly things.” 

“ The funniest one we have had was the time 
you signaled to me from your window that you 
had earned the last ten of your fifty cents. I 
couldn’t imagine what you were driving at at 
first, and when I did find out I was so envious 
because I had still twenty cents to earn.” 

“ Dad thought it such a fine plan to require 
that each girl should earn that fifty cents before 
she could become a First Class Scout. I wonder 
why, after all, we went at it so hard when it will 
be ever so long before we can be even Second 
Class Scouts. We are only Tenderfoots — do we 
say feet or foots? ” Helen giggled. 

Carol laughed, too. “ Oh, I don’t know; 
either one sounds sort of funny. We shall have 
to ask Miss Larder.” 

‘‘ Do you know that you never told me how 


46 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 


you did earn that last twenty cents. You said 
it was a sort of secret, didn’t you? ” 

“It wasn’t really; only I was a little bit 
ashamed of it at first, but I am not now, for I 
told Miss Alice about it and she said all work is 
noble, and it is the spirit of the thing that counts.” 

“ But what was it you did? ” 

“ I delivered groceries for Mr. Donovan. He 
was short of errand boys. I was in there getting 
something for mother and I heard him rushing 
around like mad, and saying he didn’t know what 
he was going to do, for there were some things 
that his customers wanted right away, and being 
Saturday he was so busy and couldn’t leave the 
store himself, so I just ups and asks him if I 
couldn’t take the rush orders. He was real nice 
and wouldn’t let me take the heaviest baskets, 
and the places were all near by. He gave me a 
quarter, so I was five cents over and above the 
amount I needed.” 

“ I think that was fine,” returned Helen, “ be- 
sides, it must have been rather fun. You did 
your daily kind deed, too, so you killed two birds 
with one stone.” 

“ Don’t let’s talk about killing birds with 
stones; I hate to think of any one’s doing that. 
Speaking of birds, I wish we had a place big 


KNOTS 


47 


enough to keep hens. It would be such a saving 
to get eggs every day.” 

“ Hens aren’t birds,” protested Helen. 

“ What are they then? They aren’t beasts nor 
vegetables nor minerals.” 

“ Of course not, but they are fowls.” 

“ Well, aren’t fowls birds? They have feathers 
and all feathered things are birds.” 

“ Except hats and boas,” rejoined Helen, 
getting away from the subject. 

But Carol was not so easily turned. “ Do you 
suppose one could keep just one hen in a flat? 
She wouldn’t take up much room and she might 
lay an egg every day or every other day anyhow.” 

“ My mother knows a Spanish girl who has a 
pet hen, a rabbit, a cat, and a robin. She goes 
out sewing and when she comes home at night 
there they are, all of them, waiting at the crack of 
the door for her.” 

“ Oh, Helen, that is the wildest story I ever 
heard.” 

“ It is true, really it is. She ties them all 
together with a string, and sets them out in the 
back yard to take the air. She says they have 
such a good time; they look and look and look.” 

Carol went off into peals of laughter. “ I 
never heard of anything so ridiculous. I should 


48 A GIBL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

like to see that family. Couldn’t we go to see 
them some time? I can’t imagine a robin and 
a cat being tied together. I should think in a 
very short time there wouldn’t be any robin to tie. 
Where does this queer person live? ” 

“ Oh, away up-town somewhere; I don’t ex- 
actly know where. But, Carol, here we are just 
chattering and not wigwagging at all. We’ll 
never get in any practice at this rate.” 

Brought back to a sense of duty Carol ran off 
to the end of the room while Helen took up her 
position with the flags. Carol watched stead- 
fastly but could not make out the message, and 
Helen was obliged to repeat it very slowly. At 
last Carol cried out: “ Oh, I know now, but you 
said it was to be something serious, and this isn’t 
a bit serious: ‘ Carol wants a hen.’ I don’t call 
a hen a serious subject.” 

“ I never saw one laugh,” returned Helen, 
which remark immediately took away any gravity 
belonging to the situation, and Carol topped the 
remark by saying, “ You’ve heard them cackle 
and some people call laughing cackling.” 

Curious as to the cause for all this mirth, Mrs. 
Fenwick came into the room. “What in the 
world do you children find to make you so 
merry? ” she asked. 


KNOTS 


49 


‘"Hens,” Carol gurgled out, then going off 
into another fit of laughter. 

“ I never found them so very amusing,” re- 
turned Mrs. Fenwick, regarding the two girls 
with a smile. 

“ They can be,” returned Carol, looking up at 
her mother from where, in her merriment, she 
had seated herself on the floor. “ Could we keep 
a hen, here in this flat? Could we, mother? ” 

“ Perhaps we could, but I don’t believe it 
would be a very satisfactory place. She would 
have no place to scratch, and wouldn’t live a very 
normal life, I am afraid. We’d better buy our 
eggs for the present, I think.” 

“ But they are so high, and it would be so nice 
to have real fresh ones, I mean a real fresh one 
every day. Tell her about the funny woman 
with her pets. Just listen, mother.” 

So Helen told about the little Spanish sewing 
girl, which tale Mrs. Fenwick declared almost 
unbelievable, and declared that she, too, had the 
curiosity to see this remarkable family. As 
events turned out this opportunity was not to 
occur, though no one foresaw then just what was 
to happen. 

After Mrs. Fenwick went back to her work 
the girls took up their signaling with more seri- 


50 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

ousness. Each one was hoping to be elected as 
patrol leader, but said nothing of her wish to the 
other. Carol was the quicker; Helen the more 
exact, so that it was likely to be a close race. It 
depended largely upon which was the more 
persevering, and which showed the better quali- 
ties for leadership. Miss Lardner was watching 
both girls very closely, feeling sure that one or 
the other would be chosen by her patrol. Which- 
ever one was chosen she felt quite positive the 
other would be selected as corporal to assist the 
first and take her place if necessary. There had 
been but one meeting of the full patrol and at 
the next the election would take place. 

As the captain inspected the line of Scouts 
drawn up before her she realized that this was 
no child’s play for her or for them. Not a 
Tenderfoot there but would have to make some 
sacrifice in order to pay her dues, to maintain 
her place, to follow out the laws required of her. 
But as she looked in the earnest young faces she 
read an assurance of loyalty, of desire for best 
endeavor in most of them. If any should fail 
she believed the others would do their utmost to 
help maintain the high ideals which she hoped to 
set before them. Their drilling would not yet 
show anything but wavering lines, halty march- 


KNOTS 


61 


ing, unsteady columns. All this could be 
remedied in time. That greater training, of 
character, was the more important, and on this 
occasion, as never before, the yoimg captain 
keenly felt her responsibility. 

It was a grave little Carol, too, who went 
home to her mother that evening. She stood 
quite silently by Mrs. Fenwick’s side, till, looking 
up, the mother asked: “ What is the matter with 
my little girl? I hope nothing has gone wrong.” 

Carol drew a long sigh. “ Oh, no,” she said, 
“ but I feel so — so funny and responsiblish.” 

“ That is certainly a word to feel funny about. 
Tell me what is all so serious.” 

“ The girls have elected me as patrol leader. 
I felt awfully set up at first, but Miss Lardner 
talked to me afterward and made me feel that to 
be a real leader meant something more than just 
the honor of it, and that I mustn’t be bossy, but 
must try not to have the girls disappointed in me. 
Besides, I shall have real hard things to do, like 
keeping a record of the dues, calling the roll and 
all that. I have to see to it that the room is kept 
in order, too.” 

“ Which will be something of a task for my 
rather careless little daughter.” 

“ That is just it. Helen is going to be cor- 


62 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 


poral, though, and she will be my assistant, you 
see, so where I fall down on the job she can pick 
me up. Helen had a lot of votes for leader, too, 
but I was two ahead.” 

“ Well, dear child,” Mrs. Fenwick drew down 
the grave little face to give it a kiss, “ I am very 
glad and proud that you were chosen, and I be- 
lieve it will be an excellent thing for you, for it 
will give you training in the very things you 
need.” 

“ I know that, and somehow it seems much 
more dreadful to fail in keeping up to the mark 
with the girls than it does here at home. I be- 
lieve I should die of disgrace if Miss Lardner 
should decide, after I had been on trial, that I 
was not the right one after all, and should reduce 
me to Scout rank. Wouldn’t that be simply 
awful, mother? ” 

“ It wouldn’t be very pleasant, but you must 
try to do right because it is right and not because 
of the mere honor of the thing.” 

“ I know. That is just what Miss Lardner 
said. She said, too, that I must not feel that 
it is a burden, because the Scout idea is for girls 
to be happy and cheerful, that the idea is not to 
do hard work but to play properly. We are 
going to try to get a club ground where we can 


KNOTS 


63 


have outdoor games. Then we are going to do 
lovely things like taking trips to the park and 
the country where we can have Nature study, 
about birds and flowers and insects and things. 
Don’t you think that will be lovely? Oh, there 
are lots and lots of nice things for us to do; you 
have no idea how many.” 

“ Well, dear child, I am certainly glad that 
you have this new interest, especially now that 
Dick is away, for it will give us both something 
pleasant to think and talk about.” 

“ The trouble with me is,” Carol went on, 
“ that I am wild to do everything at once. I 
want to know how to do all the knots, all the 
signals, all the code, all the games, oh, and every- 
thing. I want to do them all at once and I can 
do only one at a time.” 

Her mother laughed. “ I know my daughter 
well enough to be aware of that. Now I advise 
j^ou to make out a little schedule and carry it out 
as you have the time. If you learn one knot a 
day you will know half a dozen in a week; the 
same with the signaling and the code.” 

“ Yes, I suppose that will be much the best 
way. Mother, I already know ever so many of 
the Second Class tests, so they won’t be so hard 
for me as the Tenderfoot ones. Just think, both 


54 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

Helen and I can wear chevrons. We are going 
to try to become Golden Eaglets, but we have 
to win twenty-five badges to be that and it will 
take a long time. Oh, me, but I have a lot to 
tell Dick.’’ 

“ Then you’d better begin your letter at once.” 

“ I suppose so, but it is much easier to talk to 
you than to write out every word. Wouldn’t it 
be fine to have a dictophone? Isn’t that what 
they call them? ” 

“ I believe so, but there, child, run off or you 
will never get your letter ready.” 

Carol started out of the room, but ran back to 
put her head in the door and say: “ Just one 
thing more, mother. I forgot to tell you that all 
the girls in our patrol expect to have their uni- 
forms by the next meeting and I must have the 
chevron on mine.” 

“ Very well, dear, we will see to it.” 

Carol swooped down to give her mother a 
hasty kiss. “ You are so dear, I wish you were 
a Girl Scout so I could always salute you.” 

“ You salute me with a kiss.” 

“ Yes, but that isn’t a really, truly kind like 
a military salute. Yes, I know, and I am abso- 
lutely gone this time.” 

Her mother laid down the smock she was 


KNOTS 


55 


embroidering with one of her own designs, and 
smiled rather wistfully. She missed her boy, and 
the entrance of her little daughter into larger 
interests and activities gave her the realization 
that her childhood was passing from her. “ She 
is on the right road, dear child,’’ the mother told 
herself, “ and for that I am thankful. The Girl 
Scouts will do for her what it might have been 
difficult for me to do. She is a little wilful and 
with no brother at hand to help it might have 
been hard to guide her, but I have faith to be- 
lieve that she will take the right turning, and, 
what is more, will help others to do the same.” 
She took up her work again as Carol in the 
next room called out: “ How do you spell bilious? 
With two I’s or one? ” 

“ With one, but who is bilious? Not you, I 
hope.” 

Carol’s ready laugh came as she answered, 
“ No, indeed, I was just telling Dick that Helen 
had a new coat and that it was a sort of bilious 
color which I don’t like.” 

‘‘ Why should Dick be interested in the color 
of Helen’s coat? ” 

‘‘ Oh, I don’t know why. It just came into 
my head to tell him. I am going to begin about 
the Girl Scouts now. Do you think I might 


66 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

crow over him because I shall wear a chevron 
before he does? ” 

“ What do you think about it? ” 

There was silence for a moment and then came 
the reply: “ I reckon I won’t/’ 

Mrs. Fenwick smiled to herself. It was a 
rare thing for Carol to let an opportunity pass of 
crowing over her brother. Something was at 
work which was giving her a finer outlook. 


CHAPTER IV 

MOTHER NATURE 


HE two close friends, Carol Fenwick and 



Helen Burke, were quite unlike in looks 
and disposition. Carol was rather tall for her 
age; her hair was dark, her eyes brown. She 
had rather a good nose and a somewhat large 
mouth which was generally smiling. She was 
quick in her movements, a little wilful and 
masterful, but very affectionate and kind- 
hearted. Helen, on the other hand, was a trifle 
shorter than Carol, with black hair, blue eyes, a 
short nose and a little pursed up mouth. She 
was more deliberate in her movements, but more 
exact than her friend, was less demonstrative, but 
no less affectionate, and generally was the first 
one to give in when it came to an argument. 
While not so brilliant a student as Carol she had 
more application, and where Carol took things 
at a leap Helen plodded along faithfully and 
arrived at equally good results. 

Neither girl was accustomed to the use of 
many luxuries. Mrs. Fenwick had very little 
more than she was able to earn by her own 
efforts. As a girl she had studied designing, had 


67 


58 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 


then married a young artist who, in a few years, 
died of pneumonia, and left her to struggle on as 
best she could with her two children. By the 
use of her brush and needle she was able to make 
a modest living for them all in a small down- 
town apartment, which, because of an artistic 
eye, she managed to make homelike and even 
picturesque. 

Helen’s father was a clerk with a large family. 
His wife was a patient, hard-working, cheerful 
little body, with no special eye for beauty and 
with little means of gratifying such taste, if she 
had possessed it. To get the family fed, shod, 
and kept clean was the utmost of her accomplish- 
ment, and now that times were waxing harder 
she found her difficulties piling up almost beyond 
meeting. There were three children younger 
than Helen and two older. The family occupied 
a first floor flat about two blocks away from 
where the Fenwicks lived. It was not a par- 
ticularly attractive apartment, and Carol often 
wondered how Helen could be content with it. 

She looked around her own pretty little sitting- 
room one day and said, “ Mother, I can’t see why 
this is so much nicer a room than the Burkes’ 
parlor. Everything is so worn and dingy there 
or else it is ugly. They have such queer looking 


MOTHER NATURE 


59 


pictures and ornaments, and the children climb 
all over the chairs and sofas till they are all faded 
and shabby.’ I suppose in the beginning their 
furniture cost ever so much more than ours but 
it doesn’t look so.” 

“ It is just because there are so many children 
to clamber over the things that they have become 
worn,” responded Mrs. Fenwick, holding up at 
arm’s length a sheet of paper on which she had 
been drawing a design. 

“ But why does Mrs. Burke let them clamber 
with sticky fingers? They always seem to be 
eating bread and molasses when I am there and 
it gets over everything. Did Dick and I get 
bread and molasses over everything when we were 
little? ” 

“ I don’t think so, because you were not allowed 
anything of the kind between meals. But, never 
mind, daughter, you must not be too critical. I 
am sure Mrs. Burke must have a hard tune to 
keep her family at all, in these days of high prices, 
and it is probably easier and cheaper to allow the 
children to eat bread and molasses whenever they 
want it than to give them three hearty meals of 
meat and potatoes. Speaking of that reminds 
me that we must think out what you are to take 
on your hike to-morrow.” 


60 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

“ Something cheap and filling, Helen said. 
Mother, don’t you think Nell is a very nice girl to 
have such sticky -fingered brothers and sisters? ” 
“ I think she is a very nice girl and it shows 
that, in spite of the sticky fingers, her mother 
knows how to bring up children. I think that I 
agree with Helen in deciding that something 
cheap and filling would be the proper thing for 
you to take for your Imich to-morrow.” 

“ Well, I don’t care much so long as it isn’t 
codfish balls.” 

“ Don’t you like codfish balls? ” 

“ Yes, I do sometimes, but not for a picnic. I 
don’t suppose I could have any kind of cake, 
could I? Cake and something else solid and 
hearty.” 

“ Let me see. I don’t know but you could 
have a plain cake. We might try that very cheap 
one without eggs or milk.” 

“ The one you told me about that you had at 
Mrs. Cole’s the other day? ” 

‘‘ Yes, that one. She gave me the recipe for 
it. Hers was really very good.” 

“ May I go and get the recipe so as to see if 
we have all the things for it? ” 

“ Yes, and you will find it written on the back 
of an envelope in my shopping bag.” 


MOTHEE NATUEE 


61 


Carol went off and soon came back. “ It 
sounds very queer,” she said. “ Have we any 
raisins, mother? ” 

“ Yes, in the small grocery closet, in a can. 
Read over the recipe and let us see what is 
needed.” 

So Carol read: “ One cup of water; one cup of 
brown sugar; two cups of chopped raisins; one- 
third cup of shortening; one-half teaspoonful 
ground cinnamon; one-half teaspoonful ground 
cloves; one-quarter of a nutmeg; a pinch of salt. 
Boil all these together for three minutes. When 
cool add two cups of flour in which has been 
sifted one-half teaspoonful baking-powder. Beat 
in thoroughly one teaspoonful of soda dissolved 
in a little water. Bake in shallow loaves or 
muffin pans.” 

“ It certainly does sound queer and as if it 
could not possibly be very good, but Mrs. Cole’s 
was excellent. We’ll risk it, Carol.” 

“ All right. I think it will be great to have 
something like that. What next, mother? ” 

“ Some kind of sandwiches, I think, but not 
meat ones, for meat is too high.” 

“ I know a nice kind. We had them at Miss 
Lardner’s the other day. They looked like 
chocolate layer cake, but they were made of thin 


62 A UIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

slices of brown bread and white bread with that 
soft kmd of cheese between, you know the kind 
that is soft and spready.” 

“ Neufchatel or cream cheese, I suppose you 
mean. Yes, that would do very well, and not be 
too expensive. How many sandwiches shall you 
need? ” 

“ Let me see: there will be about twelve 
girls. Miss Lardner and a young lady who is 
going to be her lieutenant when she is ready 
to pass her examination; so that will be four- 
teen.” 

“ Then we will make about twenty-eight or 
thirty sandwiches.” 

“ Me, oh my, what a lot! They aren’t very 
big, though. Do you want me to go out now 
and get the things? ” 

“You may as well, and when you come back 
we can try that remarkable cake. I shall have 
finished this piece of work by that time.” 

“ Remarkable cake is a good name for it, I 
think. Had Mrs. Cole any especial name 
for it? ” 

“ She called it an eggless, milkless, butterless 
cake.” 

“ But that is so long; I shall always call it the 
remarkable cake.” 


MOTHEE NATUEB 


63 


“ Why not the curious cake or the queer cake? 
Those would be shorter still.” 

“ But if you offered it to any one and said will 
you have some queer cake? she might think it 
had rats’ tails or mole’s ears or some strange 
Chinese thing in it.” 

Mrs. Fenwick laughed. ‘‘ In that case we’d 
better find a more appealing name. How do 
you like E. M. B.? That would stand for egg- 
less, milkless, butterless.” 

“ Ye-es,” Carol was still a little doubtful. 

“ Or Guess cake? ” 

“ That’s the best yet,” Carol agreed. “ No- 
body will know quite what it means and yet it 
sounds rather nice and interesting. You said 
you had everything for the Guess cake, mother, 
didn’t you? ” 

“ Yes, so you need to get only the two kinds 
of bread and the cheese.” 

“ For cream cheese, do I ask? ” 

“ For Neufchatel.” 

“ That is such a long, hard word, I shall have 
to write it down.” 

“ Have you so slight a memory that you can’t 
learn it without writing it down? ” 

Carol looked a little ashamed. “ Oh, I sup- 
pose I can do it if I tax my mind with it. Any 


64 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

one that can learn Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl 
ought to be able to learn any word, I suppose.’' 

“ Unless that any one is lazy and doesn’t want 
to tax her mind.” 

“ I’m not going to be called lazy even by my 
dearest of mothers. Just tell me it again and 
I’ll say it over till I know it by heart.” 

Her mother repeated the word and Carol went 
out murmuring it to herself. 

The Guess cake was a great success; so were 
the sandwiches, and Carol started off the next 
morning very proud of her neatly packed box of 
lunch. Helen met her on the corner with a 
similar box and neither would tell the other what 
her box contained. Miss Lardner, however, 
gave her troop their first surprise when they 
reached her apartment. 

“ We want to go off into the real country,” 
she told the girls, “ so, as two of my friends have 
been good enough to lend us their motor cars, 
we can have a ride out and come back part way 
by trolley. We want to do some tramping, of 
course, but we shall be able to go much further 
by doing this way.” 

‘‘ Oh, Miss Lardner,” spoke up little Dora 
Mori, “ I never was in an automobile in my life.” 

“ Neither was I,” confessed Maggie Sweeny, 


MOTHEE iTATUEE 


66 


“ and what’s more I never set foot in the coun- 
try. Me mother always do be sayin’ it’s a fine 
place but she doesn’t know much more of it than 
meself, bein’ borned in the owld country and 
cornin’ here when she was a bit of a child. Will 
we be seein’ burrds in the trees an’ flowers under 
fut, Miss Lardner, ma’am? ” 

“ I hope so,” Miss Lardner smiled down on the 
child. “ We’re starting out to see all that we 
can. Now, get in, girls. Sit close and you will 
have plenty of room in the two cars. I shall go 
with such number of Patrol One as can be accom- 
modated and the rest will go with Miss Starr in 
the second car.” 

The girls were soon seated, Maggie ecstatic- 
ally holding Dora’s hand and exclaiming: “ If 
me mother could only see me now, she’d not be- 
lieve it was me, so grand like.” 

Up through the long city streets the two auto- 
mobiles sped, across a great bridge, past row 
after row of tall apartment houses, and on into 
a less thickly populated district. Maggie Sweeny 
made running comments all the way. Dora sat 
in open-eyed wonderment. In all her short life 
she had never been so far from home. Her world 
possessed very narrow boundaries. She was al- 
most afraid, she whispered to Maggie. Suppose 


66 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 


they should get so far from home that they could 
never get back again. 

“ Ah, you’re funny,” laughed Maggie. “ This 
ain’t no distance at all. Say, look-a there, Dora, 
there’s Jimmy Doughty. I wonder could he see 
me if I was to stand up. He’d wonder what was 
I doin’ in a automobile at all. I’d like for him 
to see me. Could I stand up oncet. Miss Starr, 

so ” But before there could come a reply 

they were whizzed past the tall policeman of 
jMaggie’s acquaintance, and it is doubtful if he 
recognized her. 

At last the cars stopped just outside a country 
village. Beyond it stretched woods and fields. 
The girls alighted amidst much chattering. The 
cars sped away and Miss Lardner marshaled her 
girls in order to take their line of march up the 
road toward the woods. 

“ Ain’t it awful queer? ” said Maggie. “ Such 
a lot of land and nobody livin’ on it.” 

J ust then a cow in a near-by pasture welcomed 
them with a gentle “ Moo,” giving Maggie a 
sudden start. 

“You see, my dear,” Miss Lardner remarked, 
“ you have always lived in the city, and do 
not know country ways. You walk along with 
me and I will explain to you. You weren’t 


MOTHER NATURE 


67 


ordered to break ranks, girls, just because a cow 
looks at you. Fall in. This is a good stretch 
of road for us. That piece of woods is our 
object. It is about a mile away and we should 
reach it in twenty minutes. Forward, march.” 

The girls swung into line and stepped out at a 
good pace. A teamster going by halted his horses 
and looked admiringly after the little company. 
“Well, I swan!” he exclaimed. Two women 
with baskets going to the village gazed incredu- 
lously. “ Did you ever? ” said one to the other. 
“ Them’s gals. Can’t they just foot it along? ” 

“ Troop halt ! ” ordered Miss Lardner. 
“ Right ! Salute your flag ! ” And the girls who 
had not observed it, saw a flag floating from its 
staff in front of a house setting a little way back 
from the road. The women stood still to see the 
salute given and watched the troop out of sight as 
they went at Scout pace up the road. It was their 
first experience of a display with spectators, and 
naturally they did not do their best, but improved 
as they went on and when the order was given to 
“ Scatter,” they had reached the woods within 
the time expected. 

To obey the whistle calls, to keep within 
bounds, and to lookout for signs were the things 
Miss Lardner told the girls she required of them. 


68 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

“What signs?” inquired Carol. 

“ Woodcraft signs. You will find them in 
your manual, which of course you brought along. 
Moreover, every girl should try to learn some- 
thing from Mother Nature’s book, about some 
tree or flower, some bird, insect or animal.” 

“ I want to know the flowers,” declared Helen. 

“ I’d love to Imow some of the birds,” said 
Carol. “ We’ll go off together, Nell, on a voy- 
age of discovery.” 

“ Don’t stray too far,” Miss Lardner warned 
them, “ and come back as soon as you hear the 
whistle.” 

The girls scattered in various directions, the 
more venturesome plunging into the thick woods, 
the more timid keeping to the well-trod paths. 

“ Wouldn’t it be lovely if we should have some 
sort of adventure? ” said Carol, picking her way 
over dead branches and through a brambly 
thicket. 

“ What kind of adventure? ” inquired Helen, 
close behind her. “ Nothing with wild beasts, 
I hope.” 

“ I shouldn’t mind if we saw a deer, but I 
wouldn’t like to meet a bear or a wolf.” 

“ Don’t mention such a fearsome thing. I 
should be rooted to the spot with fear,” declared 


MOTHER NATURE 


69 


Helen. “ Oh, isn’t this a lovely little place? ” 
exclaimed she, as Carol, parting the branches, 
suddenly disclosed a grassy, sunlit meadow 
bounded on all sides by woods. 

“ It will be just the place to find wild fiowers,” 
declared Carol. “You can look for them and I 
will sit here under this tree and listen for birds. 
I will keep very still and who knows what I may 
see and hear! ” 

She settled herself on a large stone at the foot 
of a wide-spreading tree while Helen went off 
to look for wild flowers. It was so very quiet 
there that one could hear the crackling of twigs 
as a rabbit bounded through the underbrush, or 
a squirrel leaped from an overhanging bough. 
Presently a little brown bird with a dark crest 
perched upon a bush near by and said very com- 
plainingly: “ Phoebe, Phoebe.” 

“ That’s not my name,” said Carol under her 
breath, “ but I suppose you know what you are 
talking about.” 

The little bird did not seem to be in the least 
afraid, and even came closer so that Carol could 
see him quite plainly. By this time she was 
able to distinguish other notes of birds further in 
the quiet woods. There was one song of thrilling 
sweetness which she tried to fix in her memory so 


70 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 


as to ask Miss Lardner if she could identify the 
songster. Then a second visitor, in a gorgeous 
dress of orange and black, busied himself among 
the blossoms of an ash tree. He talked inces- 
santly as he picked and hopped from twig to 
twig, and several times he sat still long enough 
to send out a clear clarion call, quite like a battle 
cry, Carol thought. She supposed he must be a 
Baltimore oriole and was greatly interested in 
his nervous movements. 

She was becoming quite absorbed in her watch- 
ing for birds when she heard a startled shriek 
from Helen who had almost reached the other 
side of the field in her search for flowers. Carol 
started to her feet and began to run in Helen’s 
direction, but stopped short when she saw at 
Helen’s heels a shaggy gray form with lolling 
red tongue. “A wolf! Oh, me, it must be a 
wolf,” Carol murmured. “ Oh, what must I 
do? ” Her first impulse was to turn and run as 
fast as her legs would carry her, then she remem- 
bered that one of the Girl Scout laws was to help 
others in the face of danger or without regard to 
one’s own safety. So she said, “ Attention, 
Carol Fenwick. Forward march,” and went 
steadily on toward the terrified Helen, who 
breathlessly stumbled ahead. 


CHAPTER V 


HERBS 

‘'OAVE me! Save me!” gasped Helen as 

^ Carol came up, and she flung herself into 
her friend’s arms overcome by fear. 

Carol glanced quickly at the gray figure which, 
now that Helen no longer was fleeing, stopped 
his pursuit. “ Why, goosie, it’s only a dog,” 
cried Carol, with a quick indrawn breath of 
relief. 

Helen glanced fearfully around. “ I thought 
it was a wolf,” she panted. “ We were talking 
about wolves, wild beasts and things, and this 
thing suddenly appeared. He didn’t bark, so 
how was I to know? He began to pull at my 
skirt and I thought he wanted to eat me up.” 
Now that the supposed danger was over Helen 
began to cry weakly. 

“ I thought myself it might be a wolf when I 
saw it at a distance,” confessed Carol. ‘‘ Don’t 
cry, old girl. Brace up and be a soldier. There 
is really nothing to be scared about, for this seems 
a friendly beast. See, he is pulling at my skirt 
71 


72 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

now. He wants to play; that is all.” She 
picked up a stick and threw it, but though the 
dog turned his head he did not seem to care about 
sticks, but evidently wanted something else for, 
finding that the skirt pulling did not convey his 
desire he ran off a few paces, then turned around 
to give a few quick barks. 

“ He wants us to go with him,” said Carol. 
“ I have read of dogs who did that way when 
some one needed help. Let’s go with him, 
Helen, and see what he wants. Perhaps some- 
body is in trouble.” 

“ Do you really think we’d better? ” said 
Helen, not so impulsive. 

“ Why, yes, I do, for in case some one does 
need help we shouldn’t run any risk of making a 
mistake by being too cautious. If you don’t 
want to go I will and you can wait here till I 
come back.” 

‘‘ Oh, no, I don’t want to be left alone,” de- 
clared Helen. 

“ For fear Mrs. Wolf will come along? ” said 
Carol. 

“ Now, Carol, you said yourself that you 
thought it was a wolf at first, and I am sure he 
looks ever so much like one.” 

“ He does look sort of wolfish, but he is just 



SHE RAN AHEAD AND LOOKED DOWN ON THE OTHER SIDE 




HEEBS 


73 


plain dog for all that. We’re coming, Mr. Wolf ; 
just you lead the way.” 

Seeing that they at last understood him, the 
dog trotted off, looking back every little while to 
be sure they were following. He continued his 
way into the woods for some distance then 
suddenly stopped short and then bounded for- 
ward with his short quick barks. 

“ Something’s up,” declared Carol. 

“ Aren’t you afraid we are beyond the sound 
of the whistle? ” asked the cautious Helen. 

“ Maybe we are, but we have a good excuse, 
and now we have begun this adventure I am 
bound to see it through.” 

The dog, now much excited, bounded toward 
them, then back to where a fallen log and a mass 
of tangled vines barred the way. 

“ There is something or some one there,” de- 
cided Carol, hurrying forward. “ I do believe 
I hear moans or groans or something like that.” 
She ran ahead, mounted the fallen log, and looked 
down on the other side to where, huddled on the 
ground, lay an old woman, the dog now standing 
over her and licking her hands. 

Carol stooped down and raised the old woman 
to a more comfortable positiom ‘‘Why, what 
has happened? ” she asked. 


74 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 


“ Glory be to Peter, but somebody’s come,” 
was the answer. “ Is it me leg that’s broke 
intoirely or have I sprained meself, I dunno. 
But whichiver way it is it’s meself that do be 
tryin’ to move and onable to do it.” 

By this time Helen had come up and the two 
girls managed to get the old woman out of the 
hollow in which she had been held fast, she mak- 
ing much groaning and exclaiming: “ Wurra, 
wurra, is it purgatory I’m in? ” while the dog, 
much concerned, but highly approving, wagged 
his tail violently as he watched their move- 
ments. 

“ Do you live far from here? ” asked Carol, 
when they had propped the old woman up 
against a tree. 

“ Is it far? I’ll be afther tellin’ ye. When I 
be cornin’ with me basket on me arrum, and a 
good breakfast within it’s but a bit of a ways, but 
when I’m goin’ home wid me basketful of yarbs 
and sich, it do be a long journey on an empty 
stommick. I sells the yarbs in the market. 
Where is me baskit, by that token? ” 

Carol and Helen searched for it and discovered 
it overturned near where the old woman had 
fallen. They gathered up the heaps of sassafras 
bark, the roots and blossoms with which it had 


HEEBS 


75 


been filled and set it safely to one side. Then 
they conferred together upon what was best to 
be done next. “ If there were four of us/’ said 
Carol, “ we could make a stretcher of our skirts 
and carry her home, but I don’t believe the two 
of us could do it. Suppose you stay here with 
her while I run back and get help. You’ll not 
be alone, you see.” 

Helen agreed to this and Carol ran back as 
fast as she could to find Miss Lardner. She 
heard the whistle before she reached the spot, 
and was ready to answer in person. “ Oh, Miss 
Lardner,” she exclaimed as soon as she could get 
her breath. “We have had such an adventure, 
and you must tell us what to do next. I had to 
leave Helen, at least it seemed best that she 
should stay.” Then she poured forth her tale. 
Miss Lardner listening attentively. “ I hope I 
did right,” said Carol in conclusion, “ but we did 
have to go out of sound of the whistle.” 

“ In this case you did quite right, although 
ordinarily you shouldn’t have done so. One 
must use her best judgment in matters of this 
kind, and I am glad you decided as you did. 
Miss Starr, will you take charge while we go 
with Carol? Let me see, I want one of the 
larger girls; you, Maggie, I think.” 


76 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

“ Shall we have our lunch before you get 
back? ” asked one of the girls. 

Miss Lardner consulted her wrist watch. 
“ Let me see; I think we should be back in an 
hour. It is twelve now. It would be much more 
pleasant if we could have our lunch together, but 
if any one is very hungry she can have a banana 
from my haversack; that should stay her appetite 
until we return.” 

The little band of helpers hurried off and were 
not long in reaching the spot where Carol had 
left Helen and the old woman. The dog was 
the first to be aware of their coming and ran for- 
ward barking joyously to welcome them. “ He 
is the smartest thing,” Carol told the others; 
“ he told us just as plain as words that some- 
thing was wrong and wouldn’t we come and see 
about it.” 

“ He is a dear,” declared Miss Lardner, 
patting the dog’s head, he seeming to recognize 
her as a leader, for he trotted by her side, looking 
up into her face confidingly as if to say: “ Now 
you have come it will be all right.” 

They found the old woman in a good deal of 
pain, but trying to make the best of it. “I 
dunno will I be dancin’ a jig next Christmas,” 
she said, “ but I’ll not be afther dyin’ yet. 


HEEBS 


77 


What would I be ketching me fut in a bit loop of 
a vine fur? I’ll never tell ye, me that knows these 
woods like a book. From the feelin’s I have 
I’m not lyin’ whin I say me leg is fair broke. 
Wud ye give me yer opinion, miss? ” 

Miss Lardner was examining her carefully. 
“ I am afraid I am not expert enough to tell,” 
she said finally, “ but I do not think it is a bad 
fracture if it is one at all. We shall have to get 
a doctor as soon as we can. In the meantime I 
will try my best to make you as comfortable as 
possible. Girls, you will have to help me to lay 
her on her back. Steady now. Do not jar her 
any more than can be helped. One of you try 
to find her basket and bring it along with you. 
Now, please tell me your name and where you 
live so we may get you to the proper place 
as soon as possible,” she addressed the old 
woman. 

“ Me name’s Margot Ryan,” was the answer, 
“ but I gin’rally git Peggy Ryan, the yarb 
woman. Be the edge o’ the woods just afore ye 
git to the town ye’ll be seein’ a bit of a brown 
house; it’s there I live.” 

“ Shall we find any one there? Do you live 
alone? ” asked Miss Lardner. 

“ Me grandchoild, Pat Juley’ll be there. 


78 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 


She’s not walkin’ fur, sence she was tuk wid a 
stroke. I fergit what the long name is, but it’s 
the stroke the choilder do be havin’ of late. I 
dunno at all, at all what the two of us’ll be doin’ 
hobblin’ around on crutches.” 

“ Don’t worry,” said Miss Lardner cheerfully. 
“ There will be a way provided, I am sure.” 

The old creature only groaned, for her leg was 
very painful, but in due time the little house was 
sighted and the stretcher bearers moved as 
rapidly as they could toward it. The dog was 
there before them, however, announcing their 
coming by short barks which brought to the door 
a little weazen-faced girl who hastened forward 
by the aid of a crutch. 

“ Granny,” she cried shrilly. “ Granny, are 
you killed? Don’t tell me you’re killed.” She 
thrust the dog aside as he nuzzled her hand with 
his cold nose. “ Git out, Toby,” she ordered; 
“ you’re in my way.” 

“ Your grandmother fell and hurt herself,” 
Miss Lardner told the child. “ Show us where 
her bed is and then we’ll have the doctor here and 
he’ll fix her up in no time.” 

Pat Juley swung herself ahead of them into 
the further of the two rooms, rather a sparsely 
furnished one, and they managed to get the 


HERBS 


79 


grandmother in a reasonably comfortable posi- 
tion. 

“ Now, girls,’’ said Miss Lardner, “ I am go- 
ing for the doctor. One of you can remain here 
till I get back. Maggie, you’d better stay.” 

“ Yes, Miss Lardner,” replied Maggie eagerly. 

“ The other two,” Miss Lardner went on, 
“ can go back to camp, tell Miss Starr to have 
lunch and when you have finished you can bring 
something, all that can be spared, to us here. If 
any one has brought anything like canned soup, 
beef -tea tablets or milk, save that out to be 
brought to me. Go quickly and return as soon 
as you can do so reasonably.” 

Carol and Helen saluted and marched off, 
quite excited and very willing to obey orders. 

“ Could you imagine that we would fall into 
such an adventure? ” said Carol as they hurried 
along. “ Are you hungry, Helen? ” 

“ I don’t know; I haven’t had a chance to think 
about it.” 

“ Neither have I, but now that I do think about 
it I believe I am. My box of lunch some- 
how looks mighty good to me when I consider 
it.” 

They knew their way so well by this time that 
they made good speed in getting back to where 


80 A GIEL SCOUT OP BED BOSE TBOOP 

they found Miss Starr surrounded by the rest 
of the girls, all anxiously waiting for their lunch 
boxes and baskets to be opened. “ Here they 
come ! Here they come ! ” was the greeting the 
two messengers heard. “ Where is Miss Lard- 
ner? Can we have lunch? The questions 
came eagerly. 

Carol gave her report to Miss Starr, the girls 
crowding around to listen to the tale. 

“ Get back, girls, get back,” ordered Miss 
Starr. “We shall not stop for ceremony. You 
can all seat yourselves in a circle, then, beginning 
with Fanny Hyde, each one can come and get 
her box of lunch, open it and I will go around 
and look at the contents so as to decide what to 
send back to Miss Lardner.” 

The girls obeyed with alacrity, and soon each 
had her box opened for inspection. Carol, who, 
of course, sat next to Helen, gave a little ex- 
clamation of surprise as she began to unfasten 
the string around her box, and when she opened 
it whispered quickly: “ Somebody has opened 
my box and sampled the sandwiches and 
cake.” 

“ Same here,” Helen replied, scrutinizing the 
contents of her box critically. 

“ I call that a mean trick,” Carol went on in 


HEEBS 


81 


an undertone. ** I wonder who could have 
done it.” 

Helen shook her head, and just then Miss 
Starr stopped before them to ask what they had 
brought. 

“ Sandwiches, Guess cake and bananas,” Carol 
gave her reply promptly. 

“ Sandwiches, war cake and bananas,” Helen 
chimed in. 

“No contributions from you two,” said Miss 
Starr smiling and passed on. 

“ Isn’t it funny that we both brought the same 
thing? ” said Carol. “ What kind of cake is war 
cake, Helen? ” 

“ Why, it’s made of scarcely anything and you 
boil the things together for five minutes; it has 
raisins in it and spices, and tastes real good. 
Mother cut the recipe out of a paper.” 

Carol laughed. “ That sounds exactly like my 
Guess cake. What kind of sandwiches have 
you? ” 

“ Some are lettuce and cheese, and some have 
raspberry jam in them.” 

“ I have some cheese ones, but no jams. How 
many bananas did you bring, Carol? ” 

“ Three, but they seem to have dwindled to 
two in some unaccountable manner.” 


82 A GIRL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TROOP 

“ That is exactly the case with me. Do you 
suppose Miss Starr could have gone foraging in 
the boxes? ” 

“ I don’t believe she would, do you? ” 

“ I mean to ask her when I get a chance,” de- 
clared Helen, “ for I had six jam sandwiches and 
there are only four. Do we dump our stuff 
in the common pile or does each girl eat her 
own? ” 

“ Miss Starr told us not to waste any time, so 
she must have meant that we should pitch in at 
once. Whatever we have left we can leave for 
the common good.” 

They ate their lunch rather hastily, having in 
mind the fact that Miss Lardner and Maggie 
would have to wait their return before getting 
anything to eat, then they started over to add the 
remainder of their supplies to the general lot. 
As they were passing the group of girls one of 
them spoke up. “ Oh, Helen Burke,” she said, 
“ if you have any of your jam sandwiches left 
do give me one.” 

“ How do you know I had jam sandwiches, 
Lizzie Snyder?” asked Helen sharply. 

“ Why — ^why,” the girl stammered, turning 
fiery red, “ I saw them; I saw you eating them.” 

“But we were on the other side; you must 


HEEBS 


83 


have very sharp eyes to see that they were jam. 
No, there are none left,” Helen spoke shortly 
and went on with Carol to receive the food which 
they were to take to Miss Lardner. 

“ Did you ask Miss Starr if she had opened 
our boxes? ” asked Carol when they were well 
on their way. 

“No,” replied Helen, “I didn’t have to. I 
Imow who did it.” 

“ Why, Nell, how do you know? ” 

“ Lizzie Snyder gave herself away when she 
asked me for a jam sandwich. How did she 
know I had them? She couldn’t possibly see 
whether they were jam or ham or lamb at that 
distance.” 

“ Maybe she heard us speaking of them.” 

“ It isn’t likely that she could hear any better 
than she could see; besides she turned as red as 
a turkey cock when I asked how she knew. I 
mean to tell Miss Lardner right away, for it was 
a mean, sneaky trick, and I am sure she won’t 
want that kind of girl in the troop.” 

“ Well, I am glad she didn’t take them all,” 
returned Carol laughing. “ She was very kind 
to leave us two apiece. I hope she enjoyed the 
cake and bananas, too.” 

“ I don’t hope so, then,” returned Helen. 


84 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 


“ She is a horrid girl and I mean to tell Miss 
Lardner and every one.” 

Carol was silent for a moment. “ I don’t be- 
lieve I would do that,” she said after a while. 

“ Why not? ” inquired Helen. “We surely 
don’t want that kind of girl to join our troop. 
In the first place she would do harm instead of 
good, and in the second place she isn’t playing 
fair, for we are on our honor and what sort of 
honor do you call that? ” 

“ Well, you see,” Carol returned, “ we are 
supposed to be sisters to all other girls, especially 
those of our own troop. I am sure if I had a 
sister I shouldn’t want everybody to Imow it if 
she happened to do something very wrong. 

Suppose it were your sister Kate ” 

“ It couldn’t be; she wouldn’t do such a thing,” 
protested Helen. 

“ We’re just supposing. If such a thing could 
be, would you like me to go off and tell every- 
body about it? ” 

“ Of course not.” Helen considered the mat- 
ter for a moment before she asked: “What do 
you think we should do? Say nothing at all 
about it, just pass it over? ” 

“No, I don’t think that, but you see I am the 
patrol leader and you are the corporal, so I think 


HEEBS 


85 


it is up to us to have it out with Lizzie. Give her 
a chance to explain.” 

“ I don’t see what there is to explain; it is as 
plain as the nose on your face.” 

“ Well then, give her a chance to own up and 
see what she thinks about it. If she is stubborn 
and snippy and all that, then will be time to tell 
Miss Lardner. What do you think? ” 

“ I think you’re right,” agreed Helen. “ It 
won’t be any particular fun for us to talk to her, 
but I suppose it is the right thing.” 

“ And the helpful thing.” 

“ Anyhow, there is something she will have to 
do, if she has any sense of honor.” 

“ What’s that? ” 

“ She’ll have to take off her badge; stop wear- 
ing it for a while, anyway.” 

“ Yes, of course. I hope she’ll offer to do it 
of her own accord.” 

“I’m beginning to see that there is something 
more than fun to be gotten out of being a Girl 
Scout.” 

Carol nodded. “ It’s really like being a sol- 
dier, isn’t it? They do something more than 
wear uniforms and march in parades. They 
have to do lots and lots of disagreeable things, 
dangerous things, heroic things, but it is to help 


86 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 


a very great cause. Mother was talking to me 
about it the other day when I felt sort of — sort 
of awed at being patrol leader. She said the 
greater the honor the greater the responsibility 
and that I must live up to my promises just as 
a soldier has to live up to his loyalty, and the 
second promise is to help other people at all 
times, not just by picking them up out of the 
mud really, but by trying to do it morally; that 
was what made me feel this way about Lizzie.” 

“ I am glad they chose you for patrol leader 
instead of me,” said Helen soberly. 

“ Why, Helen! ” 

“ Yes, I am, for I wouldn’t have done the right 
thing at all in this case; I would have just gone 
to work and forgotten about that moral help.” 

“ Oh, but I didn’t think of it either until 
mother put it into my head.” 

“ Your mother is just fine,” commented Helen. 

By this time they had reached the edge of the 
woods and saw the little brovm house ahead of 
them, so the subject of Lizzie was dropped for 
the time being. 


CHAPTER VI 


PAT JULEY 



HE girls found Miss Lardner and Maggie 


in full possession. “ Well, here you are,” 
exclaimed the former, “ and glad enough we are 
to see you.” 

“ What did you bring? ” queried Maggie. 

“ All sorts of things,” responded Carol. 
“ Are you hungry? ” 

“Ami? Well, I am, just.” 

“ Did you find a doctor? ” Helen asked Miss 
Lardner. 

“ I did indeed; a nice fellow, too. He brought 
me back in his car, set Peggy’s leg, and this even- 
ing she is to go to a hospital. There happens 
to be a small one in the town. The doctor will 
see that they send an ambulance for her. I shall 
wait here till she is safely off.” 

“ What about Pat Juley? ” 

“ She will probably have to go to one of her 
neighbors, unless the doctor can make some better 
arrangement for her. That part isn’t quite 
settled yet.” 

“ Where is she now? ” 


87 


88 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

“ In the other room with her grandmother. 
Let’s get to work now and prepare something for 
them and ourselves to eat. How did you all 
make out with your lunch? ” 

“ Pretty well,” Carol told her. “We just had 
to hustle and scramble things together because 
it was so late.” 

“ I’m afraid this first hike of ours isn’t a repre- 
sentative one,” said Miss Lardner, setting forth 
various articles of food which the girls had 
brought. “ Maggie, see if the water is boiling, 
so we can make some tea and get this broth ready 
for the old lady. You see,” Miss Lardner went 
on, “ only one or two of the girls have haversacks, 
and we haven’t the usual camp equipments. It 
is something like the preface to a book, a sort of 
introductory hike. Next time we will try to 
have the regulation thing. Be careful, Maggie, 
how you carry that water. Now then. You can 
take this cup of broth to Peggy while I get to- 
gether some sort of meal for the rest of us. 
Carry it carefully, and don’t slop it over.” 

“ It is a funny little place, isn’t it? ” said Carol, 
looking around. “ How did you know where to 
find things. Miss Lardner? ” 

“ I didn’t know; I found out, just looked 
around till I discovered. We soon had Peggy 


PAT JULEY 


89 


in bed, then I went forth to hunt up a doctor. 
After he left we kindled a fire, so as to have 
everything ready by the time you should return. 
Pat Juley gave us information when we were at 
a loss. She is a funny little thing, as smart as a 
whip. Suppose you go in now and stay with 
Peggy, Carol, so that Pat Juley can come out 
and get something to eat.” 

Carol obeyed, took her place in an old chair 
by Peggy’s side and was soon asking questions. 

“ Have you always lived here, Mrs. Ryan? ” 
she inquired. 

“ No, dear, not always. Befoor me son wint 
off we had a nate little tinimint in the town 
whiles he had a job, not stiddy, but often enough. 
Then whin this war come, he says to me : 
‘ Mother, I’ll not wait till I’m drafted, for I’ll 
be no slacker. I’ll jine up with the marines, so 
I will, and if so be I git blowed up be wan of 
these submarines it’s like ye’ll git a pinsion, and 
ye’ll have the comfort av knowin’ I wint in a 
good cause an’ died fur me counthry like a good 
man.’ Well, dear, I was not wan fur howldin’ 
him back, seein’ as this counthry had been good 
to me an’ mine, so I says niver a wurrud to dis- 
suade him but give him me blessin’ an’ off he 
goes.” 


90 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 


“ I have a brother who has just gone into the 
army/’ said Carol eagerly. 

“ Have ye now? That’s good. I’m hopin’ 
the young men’ll not howld back. I’m Oirish 
meself, horned in the owld counthry, but me hus- 
band, Danny Ryan, was horned here; it was his 
father an’ mother what come over. Danny do be 
always sayin’ to me, ‘ Peggy, we’ve a dale to be 
thankin’ Ameriky fur; don’t ye be goin’ back on 
her,’ an’ I niver wull. He was a foine man, was 
Danny, an’ made me a good husband whiles he 
lived. Savin’ an’ thrifty he was, but be the 
accidint av havin’ a bad friend he come to losin’ 
all he’d saved before he wint, rest his sowl.” 

“ Then you haven’t always gathered herbs to 
sell? ” 

“ Indade I’ve not then. I was always wan to 
gather a few fur me own use, an’ so whin hard 
times comes I turn to ’em fur an honest penny.” 

“ What kind do you get? ” 

“ There’ll be a good many I’ll be findin’ in the 
woods beyant: boneset an’ liverwort, dandelion 
an’ sassafrax bark, calumus, too, an’ more kinds 
than I could name off in half an hour.” 

‘‘ I’d like to know all kinds of herbs and roots.” 

“ I’d be plazed to larn ye, if so be ye would be 
cornin’ this way agin.” 


PAT JULEY 


91 


I think that would be lovely,” returned 
Carol. “ Is Pat Juley’s father your son? ” 

“ Me youngest. I’d fower sons an’ two 
daughters, all gone now but Pat. They mar- 
ried an’ wint their ways, an’ died wan afther 
another. Some wint west, an’ some wint to 
Canady. Ah, well, they’d not be thinkin’ that 
their owld mother’d be layin’ here wid a broken 
leg, an’ not a chiek nor child av ’em all to be 
givin’ her so much as a sup av water, savin’ poor 
little lame Pat Juley.” 

Here Miss Lardner put her head in the door. 
“ Carol, dear,” she said, “ Helen and Maggie are 
going back to Miss Starr. I think perhaps you’d 
better go, too. There is nothing special to be 
done now. The doctor can take me back to the 
town where I can get a trolley for the city.” 

“ But I hate to leave you alone,” said Carol. 

“ I shall not be quite alone,” returned Miss 
Lardner smiling. 

“ Do you really think I should go back? ” 
asked Carol. “ I should like to stay unless you 
think I truly ought to go.” 

‘‘ I don’t think there is any oughting about it. 
It is just as you feel disposed. If you would 
rather stay I should like very much to have 
you." 


92 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

“ I shouldn’t be neglecting niy duty as patrol 
leader? ” 

“Not any more than I shall be neglecting mine 
as captain. There is my lieutenant, Miss Starr, 
to take my place, and your corporal, Helen 
Burke, to take yours. We may as well give them 
an opportunity of exerting their powers of 
authority, if you think you’d prefer staying.” 

“ Then I’ll stay,” decided Carol, seeing a more 
exciting field for her activities in remaining where 
she was. 

Helen was rather disposed to protest, at first, 
when Carol told of her decision, but when the 
latter argued that Miss Lardner should not be 
left with no member of her troop at such a time, 
Helen gave in and went off, if not exactly 
graciously, at least obediently. 

Carol watched the two girls start off through 
the woods and returned to the little room where 
she found Pat Juley beginning to wash the 
dishes left from lunch. It was a neat and orderly 
place, poor though it was. The furniture con- 
sisted of a table covered with oilcloth, an old- 
fashioned chair with faded chintz cushions, two 
other chairs, a cheap looking lounge, a small cup- 
board for dishes, a little stove. On the wall was 
a crayon portrait which Carol surmised to be that 


PAT JULEY 


93 


of Danny Ryan. She went up to the table where 
Pat Juley was at work. “Let me do those,” 
she said. 

Pat Juley shook her head in a decided negative. 

“ Oh, please,” begged Carol. “ I always do 
the dishes at home unless I happen to be late for 
school, or unless mother isn’t too busy, then we 
do them together.” 

“ I do be always the one to do them, too,” re- 
turned the other. 

“ But you have more than usual this time,” 
argued Carol. “ I’ll tell you what we can do, 
you can wash and I will wipe and put away. I 
think it makes the work go twice as fast when 
two do it together.” She took up the towel and 
without more parley began to do her share. It 
was not in the nature of Carol Fenwick to keep 
silent very long, and she did like to ask ques- 
tions, not so much from an overweening habit of 
curiosity, but because she was really interested 
in knowing about persons and things, was verj^ 
sympathetic, and what concerned persons she 
liked also concerned her. 

“ Is your last name Ryan like your grand- 
mother’s? ” she put her first question. 

Pat Juley nodded. 

“ I’m named Caroline after my grandmother, 


94 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

but they call me Carol. Who are you named 
after? ” 

“ My daddy and my mammy. She’s dead,” 
replied Pat Juley, with a sudden show of interest 
after these intimate questions. 

“ Was her name Juley or Pat? ” inquired 
Carol, with a glimmer of mischief in her eyes 
which was at once reflected in the other’s. 

“ Her name was Juliana, and I’m named 
Patricia Juliana.” 

“ That’s a fine name,” declared Carol. “ You 
know there is a Princess Pat, and a regiment of 
soldiers they call Princess Pat’s regiment.” 

Pat Juley nodded understandingly. “ I 
know. Daddy told me. He is a soldier, a sailor 
soldier.” 

“ A marine. I heard about him from your 
grandmother. Aren’t you proud of him? I’m 
awfully proud of my brother. He is at a train- 
ing camp. Maybe he will be an officer.” 

“ My daddy ain’t no ossifer, but I don’t care. 
I like him just as much.” 

“ Of course you do. I’ll love my brother just 
as much if he doesn’t get to be an officer.” 

Pat Juley considered this, gazing at Carol 
meanwhile and slowly revolving her dish mop 
around in the water. “What you wear that 


PAT JULEY 


96 


funny dress for?” she blurted out her first 
query. 

“ Because I’m a Girl Scout.” 

“ What’s that? ” 

“ It’s a — a — just a little bit like a soldier. We 
have to learn to obey commands, and to march 
and do signaling, and we promise to keep the 
Scout laws, on our honor, and to help our coun- 
try, and people, and — and — oh, ever so many 
more things.” 

“ Is she one? ” Pat Juley jerked her head to- 
ward the next room. 

“ Yes, she is our captain.” 

Over Pat Juley’s face came a wistful look. 
“ I couldn’t be one, for ye see I’ll not be walking 
good this year now. I couldn’t march at all, at 
all wid me owld crutch.” 

“ But you could do other things. I know 
about a Girl Scout troop where all the girls are 
deaf. They can’t hear and some of them can’t 
talk because they don’t hear and haven’t been 
taught, but they can do all sorts of things, like 
tying knots, oh, and all sorts of things.” 

“ It’s worser than bein’ lame, ain’t it? ” Pat 
Juley concluded after having thought it over. 

“ Lots worse. Maybe you won’t always be 
lame.” 


96 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

/ Pat Juley drew a long sigh. “ Somebody said 
that oncet, an’ me granny she do be sayin’ it ever 
sence, but I dunno howiver I’m goin’ to git me 
chanst.” 

“ Maybe you will. One never loiows. Mother 
always says it isn’t worth while to think things 
won’t happen all right, for if they do come out 
the way we want them to we’re spared a lot of 
worry. I am going to think that you will get 
well.” 

“ Are ye? ” eagerly. 

“ Yes, I am. I’m going to. Why, Pat Juley, 
that doctor that’s coming here to see about your 
grandmother’s going to the hospital, he ought to 
know. Let’s ask him.” 

“ Me ask him? ” Pat Juley looked startled. 

“ I’ll do it. I shan’t mind, at least not very 
much.” Carol was bound to be quite honest 
about it. “ I can ask him and I’ll talk to Miss 
Lardner. She won’t mind saying things to the 
doctor. Wouldn’t it be fine if he should say 
something real encouraging? ” 

Pat Juley stood twisting the wet mop around 
her little thin fingers. “ I’m afeard, I’m afeard,” 
she murmured. 

“ What of? ” 

“ That it won’t come true.” 


PAT JULBY 


97 


** I wish, I wish I were as rich as Croesus,” said 
Carol. “ I’d take you right off to the best, the 
smartest, the most renowned doctor.” 

“ Would ye now? ” 

“ I would indeed; truly I would.” 

“ I wush ye was as rich as grease is then,” re- 
turned Pat Juley. 

‘‘ Well, I’m not going to despair because I’m 
not rich,” Carol went on. “ My mother says it 
isn’t always riches that can accomplish things in 
this world. Of course they do sometimes, but 
she says it is sometimes energy and perseverance, 
or pluck and determination to win. Let’s be 
plucky, Pat Juley. Here comes the doctor this 
minute. I see his automobile.” 

Whatever pluck Pat Juley may have desired 
it failed her at his announcement, for she caught 
up her crutch and swung out of the room, leaving 
Carol to confront the doctor alone. 

A ruddy faced, smiling person was the doctor 
who stepped along springily, and walked in 
without ceremony. “ Well, well,” he said, 
rubbing his hands, “ how’s the patient? ” 

“ You mean Mrs. Ryan? I don’t suppose she 
is very happy; I wouldn’t be with a broken leg, 
would you? ” 

“ Sometimes I think I would be,” replied the 


98 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

doctor with a twinkle in his eye. “ It would give 
such a lot of time to read all the things I have not 
a moment for now.” 

Carol considered this soberly. “ I don’t sup- 
pose that it would be quite so bad for some people 
as for others, and at any rate it isn’t as bad as 
being lame forever and ever.” 

“ Well, no, but we are not supposing Mrs. 
Ryan is to be lame forever and ever. We hoj)e 
she will be as good as new by the time we have 
done with her.” 

“ I wasn’t thinking of her; I was thinking of 
Pat Juley,” responded Carol, losing no time in 
going directly to the point. 

“ And who is Patchouli? A dog, perhaps, or 
maybe a cat.” 

‘‘ No,” Carol shook her head. “ She is Mrs. 
Ryan’s granddaughter.” 

“ Does she come in a bottle or as sa- 
chet?” asked the doctor, his eyes twinkling 
again. 

Carol could not understand why he should ask 
a question so very wide of the mark as this 
seemed, or why he should think it amusing, so 
she said nothing, and began to feel that she could 
make no headway with this too facetious doctor, 
but made up her mind not to be daunted by any- 


PAT JULEY 


99 


thing like nonsense. “ Perhaps you would like 
to see her,” she said. 

“ By all means, since the ambulance has not 
come yet. Are you in charge? Where is the 
young lady whom I saw this morning? ” 

“ She is in the other room with Mrs. Ryan and 
Pat Juley.” 

“ That remarkable name again,” murmured 
the doctor. “ Will you tell Miss Ladenear that 
I have come? ” 

“ Miss Lardner,” Carol corrected. 

“ Oh, yes, I thought it was something like that. 
You can bring the perfumed miss, too.” 

Carol took this to mean that Pat Juley should 
be made to appear, and she hastened to hunt her 
up. She delivered the message to Miss Lardner, 
and looked around for the little girl who was no- 
where in sight. “ Why, where’s Pat Juley? ” 
she asked. 

As Miss Lardner was leaving the room Peggy 
Ryan beckoned to Carol: “Whist, dear,” she 
said, “ the choild do be that shy av the doctor, 
she’ll be hidin’ in the closet ferninst the dhure.” 

“ Shall I go and get her? ” Carol whispered 
back. 

“ Go unbeknownst like. It’s the black petti- 
coat I’ll be wantin’, dear,” she said in a louder 


100 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

tone, at the same time waving her hand toward 
the closet. 

Carol understood and went to the closet, at 
first seeing no Pat Juley. 

“ Feel along the wall,” said Peggy; “ it’ll be 
there somewhere.” 

Carol felt and presently came upon a curly 
head hiding behind the clothing. “ I don’t see 
the black petticoat, Mrs. Ryan,” she said laugh- 
ing, “ but I’ve found something else.” 

“ Whativer it is, fetch it along,” directed 
Peggy, “ onless it has a way av cornin’ by its 
lone.” 

Carol parted the clothing and laughingly drew 
forth Pat Juley, who, finding herself discovered, 
made no further attempt to escape. “ Oh, Pat 
Juley,” cried Carol, “ and we were going to be so 
plucky. The doctor wants to see you.” 

“ Git in wid ye then,” commanded Peggy. 
“ There’s no tellin’ the luck av havin’ a doctor in 
the house to kill two burrds wid wan stone.” 

Although Pat Juley hung back, as Carol 
bravely ushered her in, there was neither frown 
nor amusement visible on the doctor’s face when 
he saw the pitiful, limping little figure. He 
held out his hand and said, with a look of serious 
solicitude, “ Come here, my child.” 


PAT JULEY 


101 


Pat Juley limped up and he questioned her 
minutely, then sat thoughtfully nodding. At 
last he turned to Miss Lardner. “ What is to 
be done with the child while the grandmother is 
away? ” he asked. 

“ That is the difficulty,” she responded. “ I 
suppose there may be neighbors who would take 
her in; the poor are very generous and hospitable, 
and I have no doubt that for a mere pittance she 
could be housed and fed.” 

“ She has no relatives but this old woman? ” 

“ None here. Her father has enlisted as a 
marine, and has gone off, we cannot tell where, 
of course. All the more reason, I think, that she 
should be looked after.” 

The doctor sat thoughtfully tapping the arm 
of the old chair in which he sat. Presently he 
looked up and said, “ Get her ready and she shall 
go back with me.” 

Carol pressed closer. “ Where, doctor, where ? ” 
she asked. “ Oh, do tell me that you are going 
to take her somewhere that she can be made to 
walk. I was just wishing that I were as rich as 
Croesus so I could take her to the best and smart- 
est and most renowned doctor to cure her, and 
here I don’t have to be rich at all if you are going 
to do it.” The words tumbled over each other 


102 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

in Carol’s eagerness and the twinkle came again 
to the doctor’s eyes. Evidently Carol had the 
faculty of arousing his mirth. Presently he 
laughed outright. “ For pure unadulterated 
and innocent compliments commend me to a 
child,” he said. “ Miss Lardner, you take the 
little girl off and get her ready, while I talk to 
this young friend of ours. I don’t see why they 
are so late getting that ambulance here, but prob- 
ably they have an emergency case.” 

Miss Lardner took Pat Juley with her into 
the next room and the doctor leaned over and 
said to Carol: ‘‘ I’ll take her to the hospital and 
do my best for her if you will tell me why in the 
world they call her Patchouli. Is it because they 
think her so sweet? ” 

Seeing that Carol looked puzzled he went on: 
“ Perhaps you don’t know that patchouli is an 
extremely odorous perfume, not usually pre- 
ferred by persons of the best taste.” 

A light broke over Carol’s countenance. 
“ Oh-h, now I see,” she exclaimed. “ I won- 
dered and wondered what you meant. Her 
name is Patricia Juliana and they call her Pat 
Juley for short.” 

The doctor put back his head and roared. 
“ One on me,” he cried. Then he sobered down. 


PAT JULEY 


103 


My dear child,” he said, ‘‘ I think we can do 
something for this little girl. Ours is only a 
small hospital, but I don’t doubt but we can 
admit her. She is not altogether helpless. I 
notice she can get around in a very lively manner 
with that crutch of hers.” 

“ Oh, indeed she can,” declared Carol. “ She 
is just as smart as can be. She washes dishes 
and cooks and helps her grandmother much better 
than many girls could do who are not lame.” 

The doctor nodded approvingly. “ So much 
the better. She can probably be very useful, 
and it will be a comfort to the grandmother to 
have her close at hand.” 

“ Oh, doctor,” cried Carol, “ I don’t know 
about your renown, but I am sure you are the 
best man doctor I ever saw.” 

The doctor’s laugh was interrupted by the 
appearance of the ambulance. Carol skurried 
into the next room to see if she could be of 
assistance. Things seemed to start up in all 
directions, and before it appeared possible that 
much could be accomplished the ambulance was 
driving off with Peggy Ryan inside, the doctor 
following with Pat Juley in his car, and Carol 
left behind with her captain. 


CHAPTER VII 


A HELPING HAND 

ELL,” said Miss Lardner as the doctor’s 



V V car whirled off, “ they have left us high 
and dry, it seems. There is nothing left for us 
to do but to foot it to town, Carol.” 

“ And the doctor said he would take you with 
him, didn’t he? ” 

“ He evidently forgot all about it in the flurry 
of getting away with Pat Juley; there wasn’t 
room, of course, for all of us in his car. I’m 
equal to the walk if you are, though it seems to 
me that you have done about your bit as it is.” 

Carol, watching the departing vehicles, sud- 
denly exclaimed: “ Oh, Miss Lardner, there goes 
Toby.” 

“Toby? Who ? Oh, yes, the dog; I 

entirely forgot about him. Where has he been 
all this while? ” 

“ I don’t Imow, but just now I saw him dash 
out of the bushes by the side of the road and rush 
after the doctor’s car.” 

“ Poor thing, he can never keep up with it. 
What will he do? ” 


104 


A HELPING HAND 


106 


“ I do believe he knew something unusual was 
going on and so he went off and hid, then when 
he saw his people forsaking the place he just up 
and went after them. Do you suppose he will 
go all the way to town and what will he do when 
he gets there? ” 

“ That’s another to think of,” sighed Miss 
Lardner. “ However, there is nothing we can 
do about it at present. We couldn’t catch him 
if we tried, any more than he can keep up with 
the car. We’ll just have to shut up the house, 
Carol, and go along. We are to leave the key 
at the first house on the left of the road, where 
one Mrs. Meginnis lives who seems to be a friend 
of Peggy’s.” 

“ Perhaps she can tell us what to do about the 
dog.” 

“ Bright child, perhaps she can. I never 
thought of that. It has been a day of happen- 
ings, hasn’t it? and you seem to have been the 
prime mover in them. We’d better start as soon 
as we have made everything safe. There isn’t a 
great deal to tempt thieves, but tramps might 
take possession if they could get in.” 

They went around locking doors and barring 
windows and at last closed the rickety little gate 
and left the house to the solitude of the woods. 


106 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 


They found Mrs. Meginnis all alert for news. 
She had seen the ambulance go by, and the car 
following with Pat Juley within, “ settin’ up as 
proud as a queen,” and she wondered what it was 
all about, but having nobody to leave with her 
invalid husband she could not go forth to see. 
Would the ladies step inside and rest a bit? The 
ladies would not, explaining that they were al- 
ready behind time and would be late as it was in 
getting home, but they gave the news in as few 
words as frequent ejaculations and questionings 
from Mrs. Meginnis would allow. 

“ What about the dog? ” inquired Miss Lard- 
ner when she had come to the end of her re- 
cital. 

“ The poor baste,” exclaimed Mrs. Meginnis. 
“ I was afther wonderin’ mesel’ whin I do be 
seein’ him lopin’ like a mad thing after the car.” 

“ Will he go all the way to the town, do you 
think? ” asked Carol. 

“ I dunno will he or no. I’d think not. He’s 
a wise craythur, an’ whin he do be diskiverin’ that 
his fower legs is nothin’ aside fower wheels, he’ll 
turn tail an’ come back.” 

“ But where will he go? What will he do? ” 
asked Carol with concern. 

“ Is it Nora Meginnis ye’re askin’ that? He’ll 


A HELPING HAND 


107 


be afther cornin’ joost stright here. It’s his way. 
If he misses the two av thim av his own, he knows 
where he’ll be welcome. Me husband do be that 
fond av him, an’ company he is whin I must be 
lavin’ the house for a spell, an’ it’s glad an’ 
thankful I am to have him, for he’s as good as a 
nurse for me poor man, an’ me not grudgin’ him 
the bit he’ll ate.” 

Carol gave a long sigh of relief at this rambling 
statement. “ I am so glad,” she cried. “ I don’t 
believe I could have slept a wink if I had thought 
of that dear dog wandering around forlorn and 
hungry.” 

“ Ye needn’t be losin’ yer slape on his account,” 
said Mrs. Meginnis. “ He’ll not go hungry this 
night.” 

So the two took leave of the good-hearted 
woman and went on their way rejoicing. “ She 
was awfully dirty but she certainly is kind,” 
remarked Carol as they stepped along briskly, 
turning aside suddenly to get out of the way of 
an approaching motor car. 

Her remark was not answered for the car 
stopped short and some one hailed them. 
“ Hallo, there, where are you going? ” 

“ It’s the doctor, and oh, it’s Toby,” exclaimed 
Carol, 


108 A GIRL SCOUT OP RED ROSE TROOP 

“ We’re going to town to take the car for the 
city,” said Miss Lardner. 

“ Isn’t that just like a girl to fly off in hot 
haste,” said the doctor disgustedly. “ Why 
didn’t you wait till I got back? I said I’d take 
you in, didn’t I? ” 

“ Yes, but ” 

“ Oh, yes, but — but. You thought I’d for- 
gotten; I know you did. Even if I had done so 
I would have been obliged to come back Avith this 
beast. Have you any idea what is to be done 
about him? As if it were not enough for me to 
be saddled with an old woman and an elf of a 
ehild without having their live stock thrust 
upon me.” 

‘‘ He will go straight to that little dingy yellow 
house over there,” Miss Lardner told him. “ It 
is oceupied by a Mrs. Meginnis, who is on inti- 
mate terms with Toby and will be pleased to 
pieces to have him make her a visit.” 

“ Good! That’s one thing I can wash my 
hands of. Here, dog, get out and go your ways ; 
I am done with you.” 

Toby, sitting up very straight and dignified, 
his feelings greatly hurt beeause of his being tied 
to the seat by a bit of rope, made no effort to 
descend. 


A HELPING HAND 


109 


Poor dear,” said Carol commiseratingly, “ he 
doesn’t Imow what is expected of him. Where 
did you find him, doctor? ” 

“ The beast tried to race me into town; of 
course he couldn’t get there as soon as I did, but 
he had sense enough to find the hospital, and 
when I came out there he was on the step nearly 
spent with fatigue. He made it known that I 
was the person he was after. I couldn’t remem- 
ber where I had seen him at first, then I recalled 
having noticed him this morning at Peggy 
Ryan’s, so I went in, brought out the little girl — 
I thought he would eat her up, by the way — and 
she whispered something to him, at least she told 
him he was to go with me. He would have fol- 
lowed all right but he wouldn’t get into the car, 
so I had to tie him. She said something about 
his going to the nearest neighbor. A nice day’s 
work I’m having. Here, you beast, get down.” 

“ He can’t till you untie him, can he? ” said 
Miss Lardner sweetly. 

The doctor shot her a frowning glance and 
then burst out laughing, untied Toby, patted his 
head, stepped out of the car, and Toby politely 
leaped out after him. Mrs. Meginnis, leaning 
on her gate, was watching proceedings. “ Here, 
Toby, here, Toby,” they heard her call, and with- 


110 A GIBL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

out a look to right or left, Toby bounded off 
down the road. 

“ Get in, get in,” said the doctor; “ there’ll be 
room for three with the little seat down. Bother 
that dog; I wish he weren’t so human. I know 
he was trying to tell me things all the way here, 
but I couldn’t make out what he said.” By 
which remark the other two realized that all his 
grumbling about Toby was mere pretense. 

“ We thought he was a wolf when we first saw 
him,” remarked Carol. “ What kind of dog 
is he? ” 

“ I don’t wonder you thought that, for he 
looks much like one. He is what they call a 
police dog; we don’t see many of them. I won- 
der where old Peggy got hold of him. I’ll have 
to ask her.” 

“ How did you leave her? ” asked Miss Lard- 
ner. 

“ As well as you could expect. She is a 
patient, cheery old soul, and will give no more 
trouble than she can help; we soon saw that. 
She’ll have a good six weeks of it.” 

“ And the little girl? ” 

“ She’ll be longer getting over her trouble, but 
she will not need to stay at the hospital after her 
grandmother leaves. Once or twice a week will 


A HELPING HAND 


111 


be often enough for her to have treatments after 
that.” 

“ But how will she get them? ” asked Carol. 
“ She couldn’t walk all this distance to the town, 
could she? ” 

The doctor gave her a sidelong glance. 
‘‘ What’s a car for? ” he asked, and Carol put no 
further questions, understanding that the doctor 
meant to see this matter through on his own hook. 

It was a short enough drive to town by auto- 
mobile and in what seemed a few minutes they 
were waiting on the main street for the car which 
should take them back to the city. 

“ I wish I knew how to thank you, doctor,” 
said Miss Lardner, as they were about to take 
their leave of him. 

“ I don’t know what you say that for,” re- 
turned he. “ There’s a marine somewhere fight- 
ing for me and my country which I am not 
privileged to fight for. Providence, in the shape 
of two young and plucky women, gives me the 
opportunity of doing something for that lad’s 
old mother and little afflicted child. Why are 
any thanks coming to me? The shoe is on the 
other foot. Here’s your car; take your thanks 
and go home with them.” He hustled them on 
the car, and as it started off they saw him swing- 


112 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

ing his runabout around the corner without a 
backward look. 

“ That’s a queer man,” remarked Miss Lard- 
ner, looking from the window as the automobile 
disappeared. 

“ But he’s good, good,” answered Carol 
vehemently, “ and I know he will do everything 
he can for Mrs. Ryan and Pat Juley. Do you 
suppose we shall ever see them again? ” 

“ Surely we shall. I mean to go out once a 
week, if possible, and you must go with me some- 
times.” 

“ Oh, if I might I’d love to. Do you suppose 
Mrs. Ryan will ever be able to go after her herbs 
again? ” 

“ Not for some time, I am afraid. We shall 
have to find something else for her to do mean- 
while. I have been thinking it over but I haven’t 
had any inspiration about it yet. I must talk it 
over with mother, who is a person of ideas. It is 
a good thing the days are getting so long so we 
can get home before dark. We certainly shall 
have made a day of it. Do you think your 
mother will be worried at your staying so late? ” 

‘‘ I don’t think so, for I couldn’t tell when we 
would be back. I suppose all the others reached 
home long ago.” 


) 


A HELPING HAND 


113 


‘‘ I don’t know that they did. You see they 
were to walk back to town and take the trolley 
from there, just as we did, only by a different 
road, so they may not be so very much earlier.” 

Miss Lardner was right, for when Carol left 
her to change for the car which would take her 
nearest to her home, who should be sitting in the 
corner of that same car but Lizzie Snyder. 
Carol did not perceive her at first and when she 
did she was not sure that she wanted to be any 
nearer to her; then the thought came to her that 
here was her opportunity of seeing Lizzie alone, 
and that she had better strike while the iron was 
hot. It was not Carol’s way to put off anything 
which she knew she must do, so she watched till 
there should be a seat vacant by Lizzie, and then 
she went directly to it. She wondered at not 
seeing any of the other girls on this same car, 
and this prompted her first question: “Why, 
what are you doing here alone? Where are the 
rest of the girls? ” 

“ Gone home long ago,” replied Lizzie. 

“ Why, what’s the matter? Why aren’t you 
with them, or rather why didn’t you come when 
they did? ” 

“ Didn’t choose to,” responded Lizzie sullenly. 

Carol looked at her more closely and saw that 


114 A GIBL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

she looked tired and troubled. She had never 
known the girl very intimately, had seen her in 
school, but had never gone to her home, and 
indeed did not know just where she lived. 
Without knowing exactly why, she suddenly felt 
very sorry for her. “ I hope our mothers won’t 
be worried at our getting back so late,” she said 
pleasantly. 

“Yours may be; I haven’t got any to be 
worried,” was the response. 

“ Oh, haven’t you? I haven’t any father, but 
I have the dearest mother; I wish you had.” 

Lizzie looked straight ahead but made no 
reply. Carol could not be satisfied to let the ball 
of conversation stop so suddenly and she started 
again. “ Who looks after you if you haven’t 
any mother? ” she asked. 

“ My aunt. I haven’t got any father either.” 

“ Oh! ” Carol looked distressed and felt more 
than ever disinclined to deal with Lizzie, yet she 
knew she must do it. She was silent for some 
time. No one was sitting very near. This was 
her chance. She swallowed hard then she said: 
“ Lizzie, please tell me what made you take 
things from our lunch boxes to-day.” 

“ Who said I took anything? ” Lizzie asked 
defiantly. 


A HELPING HAND 


116 


‘‘ Somebody did take things. If it wasn’t you 
how did you know that Helen Burke had jam 
sandwiches? You couldn’t possibly have told 
unless you sampled them.” 

Lizzie was silent for a moment, then she came 
out with, “ I guess I wouldn’t be so mean as to 
make a fuss about a couple of little old sand- 
wiches.” 

“ Oh, but, Lizzie, it isn’t the sandwiches I am 
making a fuss about. I would rather, and so 
would Helen, that you should have had every- 
thing in our boxes than that you should have 
taken what wasn’t yours. We would gladly 
have given them to you, but that one of our troop, 
that we are so j)roud of, should forget her prom- 
ises and do a sneaky, dishonorable thing like that 
is what hurts.” 

Nothing was said by either of the girls for 
some minutes, then in a small, tearful voice 
Lizzie said: “ I guess if you hadn’t had any 
breakfast and knew you didn’t have car fare 
enough to bring you all the way home you’d do 
the same. I don’t care. I suppose you’ll go 
and tell everybody. Miss Lardner and all the 
rest, and they will despise me and turn me out of 
the troop.” The tears were trickling down 
Lizzie’s cheeks by this time. 


116 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

Carol was so shocked and distressed that she 
hardly knew what to say. She moved up closer 
and put her arm around the girl, who with 
averted face was trying to wipe her eyes. “ Oh, 
Lizzie, please, please,” she whispered. “ I didn’t 
Imow — I never dreamed. Tell me all about it, 
please do. Of course I am not going to tell on 
you. How did it happen? ” 

Lizzie choked back her tears. “ I — I — my 
aunt — she — she said I couldn’t have a lunch and 
breakfast, too, that she didn’t mean to feed a 
regiment, and if I wanted to take things out of 
the house instead of eating with the family, I 
could take what I could get, so I took my break- 
fast. Then I had car fare enough. I had saved 
that up for ever so long, but the breakfast things 
looked so little and mean that I took some of my 
car fare, five cents, and bought some things that 
would make it look more. I made up my mind 
that I could manage to walk part of the way 
home. I asked the girls and they said the fare 
would be fifteen cents, so I saved out ten cents, 
and managed to get left when we got on the car, 
but I didn’t know it would be so far and I got 
awfully tired.” She drew a long quivering 
sigh. 

“ But why, why did you go without your 


A B-BliPING HAND 


117 


breakfast? Why did you bring anything at 
all?’’ 

“ I was ashamed not to. I didn’t want the 
girls to whisper and talk and ask me what I had.” 

“Poor Lizzie! Oh, I wish I had known. 
Please, please, don’t ever do that way again. 
Please come and tell me, and we can go shares.” 

This was too much for Lizzie. Their street 
corner was called and she stumbled out of the car 
after Carol, trying to keep the tears from her 
eyes. 

“ Will I have to leave the troop? ” she asked 
when the two were on the street. “ I love it so. 
It is the only happy thing I have.” 

“ I don’t want you to leave it,” said Carol. “ I 
should hate to have you do it, but there is one 
thing I am afraid you will have to do.” 

“ What is it? Oh, please don’t say I have to 
go tell the captain.” 

“ I didn’t mean that. You aren’t ever going 
to do such a thing again, are you, Lizzie? Not 
even if you are very hungry. If such a thing 
should happen again, please tell me, and I will 
not say a word to a soul.” 

“ I think you are a perfect saint,” said Lizzie, 
the tears flowing again. 

“ Dear me, I wish I Avere. My mother could 


118 A GIRL SCOUT OF BED ROSE TROOP 


tell you another story. You see I had to have it 
out with you because I am the patrol leader, and 
I am bound to be fair to all the girls. We ought 
to be sisters to all Girl Scouts, you see, so you are 
my sister; you know that, for Miss Lardner has 
talked to us about that and helping one another 
and being true and brave. I wasn’t a bit brave 
when I thought of having this talk; I wanted 
awfully to get out of it, but I was on my honor 
to obey the Scout laws, and one of them is to be 
a friend to all, and a sister to every other Girl 
Scout, and that is what I am trying to be. You 
do believe that, don’t you, Lizzie? ” 

“ Yes, I do, and I don’t deserve it, but I will 
never, never, not if I starve, do that again. 
What is the thing you think I ought to do? ” 

For answer Carol held out her hand. “ Give 
me your badge,” she said. 

Lizzie unfastened it, looked at it wistfully and 
handed it over. 

“ You shall have it again,” said Carol. Then 
they parted but which girl was the more grieved 
it would be hard to say. 


CHAPTER VIII 


SOCKS AND SWEATERS 

T TE needs socks.” Mrs. Fenwick looked up 

A A from a letter she was reading. The 
weather was unseasonably cold and rainy and 
the boys at camp were writing home for knitted 
articles to protect them from the dampness. 

“ I wish I could knit socks,” said Carol, look- 
ing from her share of the letter toward her 
mother. “ They are awfully hard to do, aren’t 
they? ” 

“ They are not easy, and for that reason fewer 
are made. In the good old days of our grand- 
mothers and great-grandmothers all little girls 
were taught to knit, and were not considered 
graduated until they had Imitted a pair of socks 
or stockings entirely without help, so I have 
heard my grandmother say. I suppose many of 
those poor boys, both here and in France, would 
be glad of more than we can send. Of course I 
shall supply Dick, and I wish I could do more, 
but I have so little time. I would gladly buy the 
wool if I could get any one to do the work.” 

Carol thought this over for a few minutes be- 
119 


120 A GIBL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

fore going on with her letter, and after she laid 
it down she sat looking out of the window ponder- 
ing over what her mother had said. “ Our troop 
is making surgical bandages,” she said presently. 
“ You have to be very, very particular, but I am 
getting to do them pretty well. We are all going 
to do Red Cross work, and meet every week, one 
afternoon, at Miss Lardner’s or Miss Starr’s.” 

“ I think that is fine,” returned Mrs. Fenwick 
heartily. “ What shall you do besides the 
bandages? ” 

“ Anything we can. Some of the girls are 
doing trench caps ; some are doing mufflers ; some 
are doing sleeveless sweaters; I believe I could 
do those, for I am getting to knit faster and more 
evenly. I’d like to make one to send to Pat 
Juley’s father. Why, mother,” she sprang to 
her feet, “ I have just thought that of course 
Ryan must know how to knit, and she 
could do it while she has to lie on her back with 
that broken leg. Miss Lardner was trying to 
think up something to occupy her, and knitting 
will be just the thing. Of course the poor old 
soul can’t afford to buy wool, but I am sure she 
would be pleased to pieces to be doing something 
for the soldiers.” Pleased to pieces was one of 
Carol’s favorite expressions. 


SOCKS AND SWEATEES 


121 


“ My daughter has a very fertile brain,” said 
her mother smiling, “ and as long as she puts it 
to such excellent use I am very glad of it. That 
is a lovely plan, Caro, dear, and the very next 
time I go out I will get some worsted for her. 
The Red Cross, and some other organizations, 
furnish the wool once they are satisfied that a 
person can do acceptable work, but I should like 
to contribute some myself, for Dick’s sake.” 

“ Could you get me some wool for a sweater, 
do you think? ” 

“ I could do that much, surely.” 

“ Oh, mother, here’s another idea; I could tell 
Peggy that I would knit her son a sweater if she 
will do socks for us to give Dick; she could get 
them done much quicker than you could for she 
will have nothing else to do.” 

“ Another brilliant idea, and here is another to 
cap it. We might find some one who would like 
to pay her for knitting socks, furnish the wool, 
too, some one who has the means but does not 
have the knowledge, and would be glad to do this 
for our boys.” 

“ Oh, mother, that is the nicest thought yet. 
May I tell Miss Lardner and Miss Starr? ” 

“ Indeed you may, and I will inquire of my 
friends to see if they know of any one.” 


122 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

Carol picked up her own knitting, which was 
a straight, long scarf, and went to work upon it. 
“ There is another thing I want to talk to you 
about,” she said after a while. 

“ What is it, dear? ” 

“ Do you mind if I bring home a girl to supper 
some day? ” 

“ Who is the girl? Helen Burke? ” 

“ No, it is Lizzie Snyder.” 

“ Are you very fond of her? ” 

“ Not particularly, but I am awfully sorry for 
her. She lives with a real Cinderella aunt, who 
is cross, and she has horrid little Cinderella 
cousins, the whiney kind who are always shriek- 
ing out: ‘ Mo-other, Lizzie won’t do this,’ or 
‘ Mo-other, Lizzie is doing that,’ and then the 
aunt comes down on Lizzie like a thousand 
of bricks because she hasn’t happened to tie 
some lazy child’s shoe, or is trying to keep one 
child from fighting the other. I do despise 
whiney people, especially whiney children; I’d 
rather they would be sticky like Nell’s brothers 
and sisters; you can keep them off if you dis- 
courage them enough, and they are always 
cheerful.” 

Mrs. Fenwick could but smile, but wanted to 
know more about Lizzie herself. “ Tell me 


SOCKS AND SWEATEES 


123 


about this little girl, Lizzie. How do you happen 
to be interested in her all at once? ” 

“ She belongs to our troop, and she loves it. 
She is poorer than a church-mouse, because some- 
times children do drop pepi)ermint crumbs in the 
pews and the mice can get them, but I don’t be- 
lieve Lizzie ever finds even a crumb of candy, not 
with that horde of squabbling children. She 
hasn’t any father or mother; she isn’t always very 
well behaved; she looks half starved, and I be- 
lieve she is, but she is real smart at school, and in 
the Girl Scout things, so don’t you think I ought 
to be a little nice to her? ” 

“ I think you should be viewing it in that light, 
although I confess I can’t see that she is a very 
desirable acquaintance, except so far as she gives 
you an opportunity of exerting a good influence, 
and that is a big thing. Do the other girls like 
her? ” 

“ Not very much. Some of them are jealous 
because she does so well in her school work, and 
some of them are sniffy. Do you think I am 
ever very silly? ” 

“ Sometimes you are somewhat so, I am 
afraid.” 

“ I’d hate to be. I wish when you see me 
heading that way you would hiss like a goose, or 


124 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

do something like that to remind me, especially 
if I am silly about boys. I like boys, real nice 
boys, but I don’t want to be foolish, that giggly, 
whispery kind of foolish. One of the girls said 
the other day that the kind of girl that girls liked 
wasn’t the kind that boys liked. Do you think 
that is so? ” 

“ I should be very sorry to believe it. For my 
part I should think that a girl who endeared her- 
self to her girl companions would be much more 
liable to be liked by sensible boys. Of course 
boys, and men, too, are frequently impressed by 
a pretty face, by little flattering ways, by hand- 
some clothes and all that, but I don’t believe the 
impression always lasts unless there is character 
also to attract. I have always tried to make 
Dick understand that, and I believe he does.” 

Carol gave a long sigh. “ Dear me, there are 
a great many things in this world to understand 
and think seriously about. I am just beginning 
to find out that life is a very serious thing.” 

Her mother laughed. “ Don’t take yourself 
too seriously, dear child. What does your hand- 
book say? That you should be cheerful, doesn’t 
it? One should always try to be prepared for all 
emergencies, of course, but on the other hand you 
shouldn’t try to cross your bridges till you come 


SOCKS AND SWEATERS 


126 


to them. Life is serious; never more so than 
now with this war upon us, but we can be cheerful 
and hopeful without being flippant and heart- 
less. We need to encourage one another as never 
before, and we can’t do that with pessimistic fore- 
bodings. But, dear me, how far we have wan- 
dered from Lizzie Snyder. When do you want 
to ask her to come? ” 

“ Oh, any time. I suppose Sunday would be 
a good time, for then you are not busy and I don’t 
have lessons.” 

“ Very well, Sunday be it.” 

“ Unless Dick should be here.” 

“ I hardly think he will come next Sunday, but 
perhaj)s we’d better wait and find out before you 
ask Lizzie.” 

As it happened Dick did come home that week 
for a short leave. He first teased Carol about 
her khaki Scout suit, made fun of her office as 
patrol leader, and finally put her through a drill, 
after which he pronounced her a Jim Dandy, and 
said he was proud of her, which of course filled 
the measure of her content. His visit was all 
too short. He was there, he was gone, a fine, 
big, confident, loyal lad, whose mother’s heart 
followed him far as he left her. 

The next week came Lizzie, rather shy, a little 


126 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

defiant, somewhat awkward in the unaccustomed 
surroundings. She was evidently impressed by 
the daintiness of Carol’s home but did not wish 
to appear so, consequently she admired nothing 
for fear it would be the wrong thing and might 
imply that she was unused to luxuries. She 
ate sparingly of the simple, but abundant supper, 
and was ill at ease while at the table. She went 
early and would not promise to come again. 
Carol felt that the experiment was a failure and 
went to her mother with a long face. 

“ Oh, mother,” she said, “ what was the matter? 
I don’t believe Lizzie enjoyed herself one bit, and 
you were so lovely to her.” 

“What makes you think she didn’t eniov 
herself? ” 

“ Why, I feel it, that sort of dry, uncomfort- 
able feeling, something like indigestion, that you 
have when things don’t go right. Do you think 
it was her fault or mine? Of course it must have 
been one or the other.” 

Her mother drew Carol down on her lap and 
kissed her. “ I am afraid, dear girlie,” she said, 
“ that most of it was yours.” 

“ Oh, mother ! ” Carol looked fairly shocked. 
“ Tell me why you say that.” 

“ Well, in the first place you felt very com- 


SOCKS AND SWEATEES 127 

placent and self-satisfied at doing sueh a noble 
thing as to invite her, then you felt that she could 
but notice the difference between her home and 
yours, and you were quite anxious that she should 
show that she noticed. You didn’t demand ap- 
preciation, exactly, but you showed that you 
expected it. You had rather a patronizing, 
superior manner, which she naturally resented.” 

Down went Carol’s head on her mother’s 
shoulder. “ I didn’t know I could be so horrid,” 
she said in a small voice. 

“ What do you think about it, dearie? Am I 
right? ” 

“ I’m afraid you are, but I didn’t know any 
one could see my inmost thoughts except you. 
I did feel that way ; I can see now that I did.” 

“ Very often we speak the loudest when we do 
not utter a word.” 

Carol lifted her head, but sat silently ponder- 
ing over what her mother had said. Presently 
she began to unfasten her Scout pin which she laid 
solemnly in her mother’s hand. “ I forgot to be 
a real sister,” she said. “ I thought I was doing 
a good turn and I wasn’t. I must make myself 
remember.” 

“ I think you were doing a good turn, dear 
child, but you thought more of it as a good turn 


128 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 


than you thought of having a good time with 
Lizzie, as one comrade with another, that was all. 
You were a little too zealous to do good, and so 
you didn’t get any fun out of it ; that is a mistake 
that is often made. We must try it over again 
and see if we can’t do better.” 

“ I hope we can,” returned Carol wistfully. 
It was hard for her to admit, even to herself, 
that her good intentions had been a failure, and 
that the fault had been hers more than Lizzie’s. 
She tried to place matters on a better footing 
the next day when she saw Lizzie at school, and 
did succeed in winning a little better attitude 
from her, but the two girls were so totally unlike 
that no very great cordiality ever did exist be- 
tween them. Moreover the school closed about 
this time so that they saw less of one another. 

Carol confided her experiences to Helen, who 
was rather half-hearted in her approval of her 
friend’s course. She had not Carol’s enthusiasm 
nor imagination, and was prone to see facts 
merely as facts, and she declared that she thought 
it was quite enough for them to overlook the pur- 
loining of the sandwiches without pushing friend- 
liness further, though in her heart of hearts she 
thought it was rather fine of Carol to wish to do 
so. 


SOCKS AND SWEATERS 


129 


With school work over the Red Cross work and 
knitting went on more rapidly. A wool giver 
was discovered in the person of one of Miss 
Starr’s friends, who, likewise, declared hetself 
only too glad to employ some one to knit it up 
into socks, and so Peggy was made thankfully 
happy by this arrangement. 

It was one day when Carol arrived rather early 
at Miss Lardner’s to meet the rest of the troop 
that she found Miss Lardner alone. “ Oh, 
Carol,” exclaimed the captain, “ I am so glad 
you happened to come first. I want to tell you 
something. I saw Peggy and Pat Juley yester- 
day, and they are both getting along finely.” 

“ I am so glad,” exclaimed Carol. “ Did you 
see the doctor, too? ” 

“ Yes, I did, and thereby hangs a tale. What 
would you say to our having a week of camping 
in those woods where you found Peggy? ” 

“ Oh, Miss Lardner, could we really do it? ” 

“ I think so, at least the doctor said he was 
sure we could ; in fact he was the one to propose 
it. I happened to say that I wanted to take the 
troop for a week, that I felt they needed the ex- 
perience, but that I had no idea where we could 
go, that it must not be too far as most of the girls 
could not afford heavy traveling expenses, and 


130 A GIEL SCOUT OP EED EOSE TEOOP 

he said, ‘ What’s the matter with coming up this 
way? I’d like to see something more of those 
girls of yours.’ Then I said I should like noth- 
ing better, but that I did not know where we 
could find a proper camping ground.” 

“ Then what did he say? ” Carol was too in- 
terested to wait. 

“ He said that it would be easy enough to settle 
that, and how would we like to use that piece of 
woods near Peggy’s house? His brother-in-law 
owns it as well as the little house where Peggy 
lives, and the doctor is sure that we could have 
the use of it and welcome. It would do very 
well, for it is near a stream of water, not too far 
from the town to walk the distance, and yet is 
quite in the country. How do you like the 
idea? ” 

“It is perfectly heavenly. My only trouble 
would be leaving my mother alone.” 

“ Precisely my case, but — why, Carol, why 
couldn’t they join forces? I know my mother 
would be perfectly delighted to have yours spend 
a week with her, and it is cooler up our way, so 
your mother would be perfectly comfortable. 
They would have a lovely time sitting there dis- 
cussing their daughters. I am going to consider 
that settled, so don’t say another word about it.” 


SOCKS AKD SWEATERS 


131 


Carol thought it was a delightful plan, but 
could not be quite sure that her mother would 
think the same ; however, as the other girls began 
to arrive she gave up thinking about it for the 
present. The matter of the camp was first to 
the fore and when the idea was suggested it was 
immediately taken up by each one. “ Sure I’ll 
go,” said one. “ Will it cost much? ” inquired 
another. “ Shall we sleep out-of-doors? ” asked 
a third, and so on, till Miss Lardner had to 
whistle for silence before she could give them full 
information. 

“ I do not suppose that every girl in the two 
patrols of our troop will go,” she said, “ but I 
think we can count on a dozen at least. A friend 
has offered to lend us tents, and I think we can 
count on a wagon for carrying our stuff. I want 
each girl to look over the list she will find in her 
handbook, and let me know if she can supply 
what is required of her. We shall go in about a 
week, I think.” 

Then the buzzing began again. Such an ex- 
cited lot of girls, all talking at once, each saying 
what she could or couldn’t do, what her parents 
would or wouldn’t say, so that I am afraid that 
afternoon the number of surgical bandages made 
were much fewer than usual. 


132 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

“ There’s just one thing to prevent my going,” 
said Helen on the way home. 

“ And what’s that? ” asked Carol. 

“ My garden. Everything is in such good 
order now, and we are getting lettuce and peas. 
I suppose dad will see that it is watered, and 
mother will get the boys to pick the peas.” 

“ Well, you can’t take it with you,” said Carol 
philosophically, “ so you will have to make up 
your mind which you like best, the camp or the 
garden.” 

“ Oh, I know that, and of course I shall not 
give up the camp, but I can’t help thinking about 
the garden, too. I wonder if Lizzie Snyder will 
go.” 

Carol looked sober. Somehow Lizzie was 
never a very happy thought. “ I wish she could 
go,” she said. 

“ I don’t see how she could afford it, for of 
course it will cost something. I can afford it, 
because dad pays me for all my garden stuff and 
I know mother will let me take blankets and 
things.” 

Carol was still busy thinking about Lizzie, who, 
for some reason, would take possession. She 
would try to see her the next day and find out 
whether she had any hope of going to the camp. 


SOCKS AND SWEATEES 


133 


“ What are you thinking about? ” asked Helen. 

I have asked you the same question twice.” 

“ I was thinking about Lizzie.” 

“ You are really getting daft about that girl,” 
said Helen petulantly. “ I don’t see what on 
earth you see in her to be so interested about. I 
think she is fairly stupid myself.” 

“ Oh, not in her studies, Nell.” 

“ No, of course not, but to talk to. She hasn’t 
a bit of fun in her.” 

“ She knows more about tying knots than any 
one of us and she is perfectly fine at signaling.” 

“ I know that. I am not saying that she isn’t 
a good Scout, but as a mere girl I don’t find her 
interesting, and then she looks so — so queer.” 

“ Well, there is one thing — she won’t look any 
queerer than the rest of us at camp, for we shall 
all wear our uniforms there.” 

“ You’re bound to have her go, I see.” 

“ She will if I have anything to do with it.” 

“ Oh, you’re a great manager.” Helen was 
really a little jealous. 

Carol flushed up, and was about to answer 
back in kind, but decided that she did not want 
a quarrel with Helen, of all persons, so Helen 
cooled down and the two parted with no further 
words about Lizzie. 


CHAPTER IX 


THE WAY OUT 


FTER all, the question of Lizzie’s going to 



camp was settled in a less personal way 
than Carol expected, for upon investigation Miss 
Lardner found that few of the girls could afford 
such an outing. “ It is such a disax)pointment,” 
she confided to her friend Miss Corning, “ but I 
don’t see how we are to manage the expense.” 

Miss Corning smiled. “ Where there’s a will 
there’s a way,” she returned. 

“ Then will you please tell me the way? ” 

“ I will if you let me think it over a little.” 

“ Everything seems so propitious,” Miss Lard- 
ner went on, “ the camping ground given us for 
nothing, the girls all enthusiastic, that good 
doctor promising to get us a wagon to carry our 
stuff from the station, and the use of his car to 
transport us, if necessary. Moreover, they don’t 
know anything about Girl Scouts in that little 
town and it would be an excellent place to do 
work in starting up a new troop. I do hate to 
give up my pet plan.” 

“ I don’t see why you should give it up. How 


134 


THE WAY OUT 


135 


big is your camping ground? Large enough to 
accommodate more than your own troop? Two 
patrols you have, haven’t you? ” 

“ Only two, so far.” 

“ Why not join with some other troop of the 
same size, which would give a better number to 
work with, that would reduce expenses, in the 
first place? Then why not let your girls get up 
a cake and candy sale, or something of that kind? 
A supper, maybe, would be better and more 
quickly arranged ; in that way I should think you 
might make something.” 

“ Oh, my good angel, that could be done, I 
verily believe. Most of my girls are not blessed 
with much wealth, but I believe by canvassing 
among our friends we could get contributions. 
People will give a cake or a salad when they will 
not give money. You have saved my life, Bess, 
dear. I shall begin immediately on you. What 
will you give? ” 

Miss Corning laughed merrily. “ That is 
turning the tables with a vengeance. Let me 
see ; I will give two pounds of coffee and a couple 
of quarts of potato salad. How will that do? ” 

‘‘ Fine. You see in the neighborhood where 
our girls live we cannot expect to get a fancy 
price for a supper, but as nearly every one prefers 


136 A GIBL SCOUT OP BED BOSE TBOOP 

to pay for something to eat — you should see how 
they flock to the little lunch rooms — I am pretty 
sure we shall be able to make it pay. Must you 
go, blessed visitant? I can’t tell you what a 
load you have taken off my mind.” 

“ Which is sufficient recompense for any sug- 
gestion I may have made. By the way, I 
shouldn’t wonder if I knew some one who may 
be glad to cooperate with you in that camping 
matter. Her girls belong to a well-to-do class 
which is all the more reason why a little sifting 
around will be of benefit. I know she is seeking 
methods of making them more democratic, so no 
doubt it would work. I will try to see her, or 
will ’phone her to get in touch with you. I shall 
be tremendously interested to know how the plan 
works out.” So saying she went off, leaving 
Miss Lardner quite uplifted and ready to put 
her plans into operation as soon as might be. 

Miss Corning was not a person to let the grass 
grow under her feet, and the captain of Red Rose 
Troop was not surprised the next morning at 
receiving a call over the ’phone. “ Is this Miss 
Lardner? This is Miss Merritt speaking. I 
have just had a talk with Miss Coming about 
your camp. Shall you be at liberty this morn- 
ing, and may I come over to consult you about 


THE WAY OUT 


137 


a consolidation of our troops? Miss Corning 
says you were discussing such a possibility yes- 
terday.” 

Miss Lardner’s response was cordial enough 
to convince the speaker that she would be a wel- 
come caller, so in less than an hour the two cap- 
tains were animatedly discussing the situation, 
Miss Merritt not the less interested of the two. 

“ I think I can promise you that each of my 
girls will make a contribution, and I should not 
wonder if we were to come down in a body to par- 
take of your supper. What are you going to 
have and what shall you charge? ” 

Miss Lardner had planned it all out in her 
own mind and was ready to say, “ I thought we 
would have croquettes, peas and salad, biscuits, 
perhaps, with strawberries, cake and coffee to 
top off with. I do not suppose we can ask more 
than fifty cents.” 

“ And cheap enough, but if you have most of 
the things given you it will pay. Suppose I ask 
each of my girls to contribute a cake. No doubt 
some of them will want to give fudge, too; they 
adore to make fudge. You could sell it in little 
packages at ten cents, and that would bring in a 
trifle more. If you have more cakes than you 
will use you could sell those too, either whole or 


138 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 


in slices. You will get a crate of strawberries, 
of course. I know where you can get them at 
wholesale, and we will come down to help you 
hull them. The girls will be delighted to do that 
and anything else they can to help you get ready.” 

“ I think that would be very, very kind.” 

“ When they know their camping week de- 
pends upon it they will not consider that it is any 
great act upon their part. Besides, I think it 
will be an excellent plan to throw the troops to- 
gether on this equal footing, so it will make a 
better spirit of comradeship when they go to 
camp.” 

To all this Miss Lardner agreed most heartily 
and the two parted like old friends. 

The whole Red Rose Troop was thrown into 
the wildest excitement when Miss Lardner un- 
folded the plan to them. The camp in itself was 
a most alluring prospect, but add to that such an 
entertainment as a supper for the cause and every 
girl was ready to do her utmost, so, for the next 
week, there was a persistent canvassing among 
their friends, and a pretty fair showing of results 
when the day came. They had obtained the use 
of the schoolroom where their meetings took 
place, and this they meant to make as attractive 
as possible. Every one who had a banner, or 


THE WAY OUT 


139 


flag, contributed it. Table covers, dishes, and 
such things were collected from whatever source 
possible, but the girls felt that the room still 
lacked something. 

“ I know what it is,” said Carol, looking 
around. “ It is flowers. Oh, if only we had 
some red roses; wouldn’t they be stunning? ” 

“ And so ai)propriate,” sighed Helen, “ but I 
don’t know where they will come from. We 
shouldn’t spend any money on mere decorations, 
for we shall probably need every cent we can 
make.” 

Just then up drove a motor car filled with joy- 
ous girls who came trooping in. “ Is this where 
Red Rose Troop is going to have a supper? ” 
asked the foremost. “ We belong to Goldenrod 
Troop, and we have come down to help. What 
can we do? Miss Merritt said there were straw- 
berries to hull. I am Margery Bliss, patrol 
leader.” 

“ I am Carol Fenwick, also patrol leader,” 
said Carol, coming forward. “ It is awfully 
good of you girls to come down. Do you think 
the room looks all right? ” 

Margery looked around. “ Why, yes, and it 
will look even better when you get your flowers 
in place.^’ 


140 A GIRL SCOUT OF BED ROSE TROOP 

Carol’s face looked grave. “We haven’t any 
flowers,” she said. “We don’t grow them in this 
part of town,” she added with a half smile. 

“ Oh, but you must have some,” Margery pro- 
tested. “We kept the car outside waiting on 
purpose to see if we could go on any errands.” 

“ But, don’t you see,” Carol hesitated a 
moment, “ we can’t spend the money on adorn- 
ments ; we need it all for purely gross things, like 
butter.” 

“ I know where there are plenty of flowers that 
will be exactly the right thing, and they won’t 
cost a penny either,” said Margery. “ You 
ought to have red roses, of course, for that is 
your troop flower. I know where there is a great 
bush of them, crimson ramblers, and I can have 
all I want, for they are in my own back yard. 
Some of the other girls have them, too, I know, 
so we can get loads of them. I’ll bring some 
vases, too. Red roses wanted! Who has red 
roses in her home garden? ” she cried. “ Any girl 
who can get red roses come along with me.” 

Half a dozen hands went up. “ I can! I 
can ! ” came the response. 

The chauffeur had just deposited on a long 
bench the last of the cakes which the girls had 
brought down, and these were attended to by 


THE WAY OUT 


141 


those of the Goldenrod girls who had no red roses 
to gather; the rest followed Margery to the car 
and were soon stowed away and spinning up- 
town. They were back within an hour, the car 
looking like a rose garden, and the supply of 
vases large and small which each girl brought 
would appear almost too many to one who had 
no experience in such matters as decorating. As 
it was, every table held a vase of the red roses, 
and the rest were disposed where they would be 
most effective. The result far exceeded the 
hopes of the originators of the entertainment. 

“ It is just perfect! ” cried Carol, clasping her 
hands and gazing around the room. “ It was 
the one thing we needed, and you Goldenrod 
girls are too dear for words. I’d like to pin 
thanks badges all over you.” 

“ And leave no room for any others? No, I 
thank you,” said Margery laughing; “ I want to 
earn a few of a different kind. It does look well, 
though, and I do hope you will have a perfect 
crowd of customers. We are going to stay down 
to see the ball set rolling and have the first serv- 
ing. The other patrol will come along in course 
of time.” 

Her hopes were more than realized, for no 
sooner were the doors opened than business be- 


142 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 


gan, and so steadily did it keep up that those who 
came to eat stayed to serve, for the Goldenrod 
girls, seeing the rush, offered to help, and thought 
it great fun. Margery herself was so overcome 
with amusement as she madly rushed around 
that she almost spilled a whole trayful of sup- 
per. 

The early comers were chiefly girls, who came 
in twos and threes, older women with small 
children, but later on arrived the young people. 

Suddenly a whisper went around among the 
young waitresses: “ No more coffee,” then, “ No 
more cake.” Carol rushed around to the nearest 
grocer, Helen to a bakery, each coming back 
breathless. Then something else gave out, and 
there was more dashing out for supplementary 
supplies. 

At last when the roses began to look droopy 
and the warm and tired girls were beginning to 
be footsore and weary of well-doing, the room 
cleared. 

“ Turn the key before another soul has a 
chance to come in,” directed Miss Lardner. 
“ There isn’t a strawberry left, nor a crumb of 
cake. This establishment closed for repairs. 
Girls, we have done splendidly. It has been a 
great success.” 


THE WAY OUT 


143 


“ An* can we all go to camp? ” asked Maggie 
Sweeny. 

“ Every blessed one of you.” 

INIaggie started off in a wild dance, and the 
others, Avho a moment before had been too ex- 
hausted to lift a foot, joined in; the Goldenrod 
girls followed in line and soon they were caper- 
ing around the room singing: “Over there! 
Over there! We’ll soon be in camp over there.” 

“ Such spirits,” sighed Miss Lardner to Miss 
Merritt, by whom she was sitting. “ A moment 
ago there wasn’t a girl who didn’t say she was 
too tired to move and now look at them; you 
would think it was eight o’clock in the morning 
and they were just up.” 

“ Aren’t they fine? ” returned Miss Merritt. 
“ I love every one of them. What good times 
they will all have together at camp.” 

“ Amd what a boon it is going to be for me to 
have you,” returned Miss Lardner. 

Rappings on the door, the honk-honk of more 
than one automobile outside interrupted the fun. 
“Mercy me!” cried Margery, “I know that 
toot, and it means that Simmons is tired of wait- 
ing. We’ll have to go, girls. We will come 
down to-morrow for the vases, if we may. Miss 
Lardner. I never had a better time in all my 


144 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

life and I am so glad that we shall all be in 
camp together. Thank you so much for letting 
us come.” 

The Red Rose Troop watched critically this 
gracious leave-taking, and more than one girl 
registered an inward resolution to take Margery 
Bliss as her pattern. 

Soon the automobiles had borne away the last 
of the Goldenrod girls, the lights were out in the 
big schoolroom, but the roses were not left to 
wither. Every girl bore home a cluster, carry- 
ing it proudly, for it represented its part in the 
work of the day, the work which gave each in 
the troop a new sense of independence. Perhaps 
to none of them did this come home more vividly 
than to Lizzie Snyder. Every day she was re- 
minded by her uncle’s wife that she was an object 
of charity. The great joy of a week at camp she, 
in common with the rest, had earned for herself. 
It gave her a new sense of liberty. It placed her 
on a footing with every other girl. She had no 
difficulty in obeying the Scout law: “ Be cheer- 
ful ” that night, for in her future had risen a star. 

Carol and Helen trotted along quietly to- 
gether. They did not have very far to go. 
They were very tired, but very happy. “ Isn’t 
it lovely that there is no school to-morrow? ” said 


THE WAY OUT 


145 


Helen. ‘‘ I don’t suppose Margery Bliss ever 
has to get up until she feels like it.” 

“ If she goes to school she has to,” replied 
Carol, “ and anyway she doesn’t seem to me to 
be the kind of girl that likes to sleep every minute 
she can get.” 

“ I’ll bet anything you won’t want to get up 
in the morning.” 

“ Don’t suppose I shall, but I shouldn’t want 
to be the kind to lie abed every morning.” The 
two girls were very fond of carrying on this sort 
of argument. “ I wonder if Margery’s family 
send away their papers. They probably take a 
great many. I am going to ask her,” said Carol 
suddenly. 

“ Why, what for?” 

“ Because I want them for the soldiers. I 
heard about some Girl Scouts somewhere, I 
think it was in Washington, who adopted a com- 
pany of soldiers from their city. They got their 
friends to donate papers and one cent stamps, 
then they sent the papers to the captain of a com- 
pany for his men. I don’t see why we couldn’t 
do something of that kind. I told mother about 
it and she is going to get her friends interested, 
so I want to do the same. We send our daily 
paper to Dick and he lends it around. Of course 


146 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

that does a little good, but we could do lots and 
lots more if we took the trouble.” 

“ Dad buys a jDaper every morning, but I don’t 
know what becomes of it; he hardly ever brings 
it home; I suppose I could ask him to; perhaps 
if I told him what I wanted it for he would give 
me the penny to get a stamp for mailing it, but 
I don’t know; pennies are pretty scarce in our 
house.” 

“ Well, you might get others, then. There’s 
your cousin, Mr. Devins, for instance, and he 
might tell others, and so it would go.” 

“ I could do that,” responded Helen in a satis- 
fied tone. 

Here they came to the parting of their ways. 
Helen turned in at her own door and Carol ran 
on home. The night was mild and balmy, for 
summer was well on its way, but like many others, 
Mrs. Fenwick was still working when Carol came 
in. “ Well, dear,” she said, looking up, “ how 
did it go? ” 

“ Perfectly wonderfully, but oh, mother, I am 
so hungry I don’t know what to do.” 

“Why, I thought you meant to get your 
supper there.” 

“ So I did mean to, but we were kept on the 
jump from the very first, and then everything 


THE WAY OUT 


147 


gave out, so I didn’t do more than cut the cake 
and smell the strawberries. I tell you we had 
to hustle in order to wait on every one. I don’t 
know what we should have done but for the 
Goldenrod Troop. They are such lovely girls 
and wore such beautiful clothes, not the fussy, 
showy kind, but just fine materials, very simple 
and dainty, just the kind you like. Why didn’t 
you come, mother? ” 

“ I wanted to, but I had this piece of work to 
finish, and I couldn’t do both.” 

“ Then haven’t you had any supper? ” 

“ Yes, I had some crackers and milk.” 

‘‘ That wasn’t enough. You must have some 
more supper with me. May I go out and find 
something? Anything I can get? ” 

“ Yes, except to-morrow’s breakfast and 
dinner.” 

She was gone some time but when she returned 
she brought a tray attractively set forth with an 
appetizing little supper, her red roses adorning 
the center. 

“ Carol, child, what have you got there? ” 
her mother asked as the tray was set on the 
table. 

“ Oh, just things, somethings made out of 
nothings. I found some very hard cheese which 


148 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 


I grated for the sandwiches, that is what kept 
me so long. The salad contains three left over 
leaves of lettuce, some cold string beans, a lone 
radish and some slivers of green pepper that was 
roaming around the refrigerator without any 
future to look forward to. There was some dress- 
ing already mixed which I made bold to use. 
The dark looking beverage is iced tea for you; 
the paler fluid is near-tea, being mostly lemonade, 
for me. Have I obtruded upon to-morrow’s 
dinner, mother, dear? ” 

“ You ridiculous child, no. I didn’t know you 
had it in you, Caro, to be so inventive. It is 
really a mighty nice little supper which I shall 
enjoy all the more because it is such a surprise.” 

“ I couldn’t And a sweetened thing for 
dessert,” remarked Carol, beginning on her sand- 
wiches. 

“ Then you didn’t look under the yellow bowl 
on the dresser.” 

Carol bounced up, and ran out in the kitchen to 
bring back two small cakes which she declared 
were exactly the things to finish up with. “ And 
you won’t work any more to-night, will you, 
mother?” she said as she set down her glass 
after draining the last drop. 

“ No, I think I will knock off for to-night. I 


THE WAY OUT 


149 


can easily finish this in the morning. It is an 
order for some one who is leaving town for the 
summer and must be ready.” She held up the 
smock she had been embroidering with a very 
lovely design, and looked at it critically. 

“ I think that is the very prettiest one yet,” 
declared Carol, “ but I wish you were doing it 
for yourself.” 

“ Imagine me in a rose pink crepe smock,” 
Mrs. Fenwick laughed. 

“ I know you are like Jenny Wren and ‘ never 
go too fine,’ ” said Carol, “ but there is no reason 
you shouldn’t.” 

“ Oh, yes, there is. It would be very poor 
taste in our circumstances if I were to dress con- 
spicuously.” 

Carol leaned over and kissed the top of her 
mother’s head. “ You always give the best 
reasons for not doing things.” 

“ It seems to me you have been very chary 
about telling me of your entertainment. Wlio 
was there? How much did you make, and all 
the rest of it? ” 

So Carol told and they sat talking till the 
clock struck ten, and the moon was climbing high 
over the steeple of the church at the end of the 
street. 


CHAPTER X 

LIZZIE^S GOOD WORK 

ITHIN a week the woods where old 



VV Granny Ryan had grubbed around for 
herbs and roots rang with the voices of happy 
girls. It was somewhat warm even there, but 
they had escaped the broiling heat of the city, 
were free to paddle in the little stream, to lie in 
the shade of the great trees, to swing hammoeks 
from the boughs, and to keep as cool as it was 
possible. They named their camp after the first 
bird they saw. This happened to be a pheasant 
which ran from covert across their camping 
ground just after they arrived. Miss Starr was 
able to tell them its Indian name, Bena, which 
all liked and which was unanimously adopted. 

The two things which Carol liked best to do 
were to study the birds and to explore. She 
said she could combine these two things very 
well, for when she became tired of exploring she 
could sit down and watch for birds. Helen was 
interested in the wild flowers, Margery was keen 
150 


LIZZIE’S GOOD WOEK 


161 


for long hikes, but Lizzie gave most of her time 
to studying the code of signals. She said she 
meant to be a telegraph operator some day. If 
she could get a girl to signal for her or to receive 
her signals she was quite content. It is needless 
to say that in this, therefore, she became the most 
expert Scout in camp. 

It was one day when Carol and Helen had 
been to the little town to make a call on Peggy 
'Ryan and Pat Juley, that something happened 
more than usually exciting. The girls were 
much interested in bringing back the news that 
a body of soldiers would be encamped on the 
other side of the town, and that they were already 
beginning to arrive. 

“ I think it is great luck for us,” said Carol, 
“ for we may be able to do something for them 
directly. I know Miss Lardner will let us if 
there is anything we can do. I am just crazy 
to do something myself for them, something that 
would be more personal than knitting for some- 
body you will never know anything about. 
Don’t you feel that way about it? ” 

“ Why, yes, I suppose I do, though I never 
thought of it before. I wonder who that is on 
the hilltop there wigwagging with such a venge- 
ance.” 


152 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

“ It is Lizzie, of course; you couldn’t mistake 
her, and besides you might know it would be she, 
for she is at it every chance she gets.” 

The girls were approaching a ravine through 
which flowed the little stream which was fed by 
springs started in the woods. A railroad bridge 
spanned the stream at a point further along and 
a foot-bridge crossed it where the girls’ road 
lay. 

“ I wonder if any one is taking her signals, or 
if she is just practising any old thing,” said Carol. 
“ Let’s watch and see if we can find out.” 

Helen agreed and they came to a halt, watch- 
ing Lizzie’s figure silhouetted against the sky. 

“Listen! She sees us. She is whistling,” 
cried Helen in a moment. “ Let us see what 
she wants. There, she has given one long blast; 
that means that we must listen for the next 
signal.” 

Dropping her whistle Lizzie took up her flags. 
She was really excited and with good cause, for 
she had seen something which roused her sus- 
picions and was in a fever of anxiety. She was 
too far from the bridge to reach it quickly. She 
knew that a train would be coming along within 
a short time. She was hoping and praying that 
some one of her fellow Scouts might soon appear 


LIZZIE'S GOOD WOEK 


153 


and that they would see her and read her signals. 
She had reached the hilltop but a little while 
before, and was looking the country over when 
she saw two men approach the railroad bridge. 
She watched them idly for a few minutes, sitting 
down to do so, for she was a little tired from her 
climb. The men stopped and looked around, 
but they did not see the girl who was now lying 
down in the long grass, observing them closely. 
At first Lizzie thought they were going fishing, 
though they would find few fish in that little 
stream, then she thought they meant to picnic, 
eat a rustic dinner by the waterside, but she soon 
saw that theirs was another intention, for 
presently she saw one man gathering together 
bits of light wood, twigs, dry branches and such 
things, piling them up against the timbers sup- 
porting the bridge. From a can which the other 
man carried she saw him pour something on the 
whole structure, letting the liquid trickle down 
the timbers. ' Next she saw the whole structure 
lightly covered with green boughs. After that 
the two men went off a short distance. One of 
them looked at his watch; the other lighted a 
match, stooped down and applied it to something 
hidden in the grass. Then they went off. 

It was just at this moment that Carol and 


15i A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

Helen came along. Lizzie’s mind worked 
rai^idly. If she could make them understand her 
signals they could reach the railroad bridge much 
more quickly than she could, and could put out 
the fire or fuse. She understood now that these 
men, who were better dressed than mere tramps, 
meant to destroy that bridge, and had timed it 
so that it would collapse when the train came 
along. What she would do if the girls did not 
take her seriously she did not then consider, 
though she had a dim idea that she would try to 
stop that train somehow. But the girls did 
understand. 

“ She says ‘ Stop! Important! ’ ” said Carol, 
after watching a few minutes. “ Let’s get the 
rest. What’s that? ‘ West end of railroad 
bridge on fire. Hurry! ’ Oh, Helen, we must, 
we must! There may be soldiers on that train 
that is due at the station at four-thirty.” 

Without waiting to signal their understanding 
of the message the two girls raced toward the 
bridge, scrambled down the high embankment, 
and saw the fuse, like a small, fierce red eye, 
working its way toward the pile of kindling and 
fagots. It was almost there. Indeed, by the 
time the girls reached the spot, the flames were 
beginning to crackle under the screen of green 


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LIZZIE’S GOOD WOEK 


166 


boughs. Rushing to the little stream they filled 
their hats with water which they poured on the 
flames, but even this did not quench them. 

“ We must do it faster,” exclaimed Helen. 
“ While we are getting the water the flames get 
a headway. There must be something put on 
the wood to make it burn that way. I wish we 
had a hose.” 

“ Wishing won’t get it,” said Carol, brushing 
the hair from her perspiring face. “ If there 
were more of us we could form a bucket brigade, 
but two don’t make much of a brigade.” 

“We could do it that way, though,” declared 
Helen ; “ I can stand close to the water and dip 
it up, pass you a hat, and be filling the other 
while you are using the first. In that way we 
can keep them going faster.” 

This did work better, and after a while they 
had the satisfaction of seeing the fire burning less 
briskly, though it still would start up every now 
and then in some unlooked-for place. 

Lizzie, meanwhile, was making her way to 
them as fast as possible. It was obliged to be by 
rather a roundabout route, for first she must run 
down the hill to a field which she must cross in 
order to reach the road. After that she must 
pass over the foot-bridge, and go on till she came 


156 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

to the embankment down which the other two had 
scrambled. But at last she reached them, warm 
and out of breath, and soon was gasping out her 
story of the two men. 

“How perfectly perfidious!” cried Carol. 
“ They must have heard that troops were to be 
sent here and they wanted to wreck the train. 
Oh, Lizzie, suppose you hadn’t seen them.” 

“ Are troops coming this way? ” inquired 
Lizzie, taking off her hat and joining in the work 
of putting out the fire. 

“ Yes, we heard it in town. There is to be an 
encampment on the other side of the place. Oh, 
Lizzie, you are a heroine, for you have saved 
those soldiers.” 

“ Not any more than you two did.” 

“ Yes, for we should never have known about 
the fire but for your signaling.” 

“ Did you see any track-walker? ” asked 
Helen. 

“ I saw a man go down the track just before 
the other two came up; perhaps that was a 
track-walker.” 

“ I heard my brother say that they were guard- 
ing most of the bridges,” said Carol, “ but I don’t 
suppose they do all of them. This is such a 
small one, and who would have thought there was 


LIZZIE’S GOOD WOEK 


167 


any danger here? Do you think the fire is quite 
out, Lizzie? ” 

“ I think so, but we’d better stay here and 
watch it, anyway till after the train comes along. 
It ought to be here in a few minutes now.” 

Indeed, while they were speaking they heard 
a distant whistle, then the rumble of an ap- 
proaching train which presently went dashing 
along overhead. It was crowded with men in 
khaki. Some, leaning from the windows, looked 
down upon the little group of girls below and 
shouted to them. The girls answered with a 
cheer and a waving of their water-soaked hats. 
Then the train passed out of sight, the soldiers 
aboard little knowing that to the group of Girl 
Scouts whom they had saluted they probably 
owed their safety that day. 

For a little while the girls stayed to watch the 
fire which was still smouldering. Pretty soon 
Helen spied two men coming along the track. 
“ Are those the ones you saw fixing the fire? ” 
she asked Lizzie hastily. 

“No,” said Lizzie; “those are not the ones. 
Perhaps these belong to the road. We’ll ask 
them. Hallo, there,” she hailed. 

One of the men came to the edge of the rail- 
road ties and looked over. “ What do you 


158 A GIEL SCOUT OP BED BOSE TBOOP 

want? What are you doing down there? ” he 
asked. 

“ We’re putting out a fire that would have 
burned up your bridge,” returned Lizzie sharply. 
“ You’d better come down and see about it.” 

The man made an exclamation and began 
scurrying down the embankment. “ What’s 
this? What’s this about a fire?” he asked. 
“ Have you girls been making a fire for one of 
your picnics? You’d better look out how you do 
anything like that.” 

“ Make a fire nothin’,” responded Lizzie. 
“ You tell, Carol. He makes me tired,” and she 
walked off disgustedly. 

Carol told the tale dramatically to both men, 
for the other, seeing that something of interest 
was on foot, came down likewise and joined the 
group. “ Well, what d’ye think of that? ” he 
exclaimed when the facts were made known. 
“ I been a-thinkin’ that this here bridge better be 
looked out for.” 

“ I was along here not above half an hour ago,” 
said the first man. “ Never suspicioned there 
was any of them vile German spies about. I’d 
like to git my hands on ’em oncet. I tell you that 
you gals has done a good day’s work. What’s 
yer names? ” 


LIZZIE’S GOOD WOEK 


159 


“ Oh, never mind our names,” said Carol 
hastily. “ We are glad we happened to be on 
hand. We must be going along now, but you’d 
better keep an eye on this place; the fire might 
break out again, for I fancy they must have used 
a lot of kerosene or something to make it easy to 
catch.” 

The men fell to examining the timbers and to 
discussing the hows and whys of the conflagra- 
tion, while the girls, seeing this chance of stealing 
off, were soon on the road to their camp, feeling 
that they had indeed done a good day’s work, and 
eager enough to give an account of it to their 
companions. 

“ Where have you girls been all afternoon? ” 
asked Margery Bliss as she saw the three return- 
ing together. 

“ Helen and I have been to town,” returned 
Carol, “ and we picked up Lizzie on the way 
home.” 

“ Well, you certainly have made an afternoon 
of it. What have you been doing to your hats, 
and why — you look like three drowned rats, and 
your faces are all smudged up. What on earth 
have you been up to? ” 

“ Are our faces grubby? ” Carol began to 
laugh. “ Girls, did you know our faces were all 


160 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

smudged up? I wonder how they happened to 
get that way.” 

“ Now, look here,” Margery began, “ you have 
been up to something, and you might as well 
make a clean breast of it. Out with it.” 

“We are sealed with the seal of silence,” re- 
sponded Carol, “ till this evening when tales are 
told. We are going now to report to our cap- 
tain. There is one thing I can tell you, however, 
you need never again be running Lizzie about 
her signaling. You Goldenrods are always say- 
ing that she is woozy about it. Just you wait.” 

The three went off laughing, and leaving 
Margery much mystified. It was quite true that 
while the Goldenrods admitted that wigwagging 
held its part in the work the Girl Scouts should 
do, they argued that they had yet to hear of a 
case when it proved to be anything more than an 
amusement, and they didn’t believe that girls like 
themselves would ever have an opportunity of 
using it to any particular advantage. 

“ Won’t we give them a surprise? ” chuckled 
Helen. “ The Goldenrods are awfully nice girls, 
but somehow they always seem to have finer 
stories to tell than we do, but this time we shall 
open their eyes.” 

“ They may have finer stories to tell or they 


LIZZIE’S GOOD WOEK 


161 


may have a better way of telling them,” Carol 
remarked, “ but in other directions I think we 
are equal, and I think it is nice that it is that 
way.” 

Lizzie said nothing, but she felt that the honor 
of the day was hers and that hereafter she need 
have no misgivings when it came to being re- 
spected by her fellows. She had proved herself 
as good a Scout as any among them, to these two 
present companions, before whom she always felt 
more or less conscious since that first hike and 
the episode of the jam sandwiches. It is so much 
easier to make a misstep than to gain confident 
footing again. The lesson which Carol and 
Helen had taught her was learned thoroughly. 
Their scorn of her act, and their entire treatment 
made an impression which would never be eradi- 
cated, and whatever Lizzie might do in the future 
it is safe to say that hereafter she would respect 
the belongings of others. She wanted to do 
more. She wished to let them know that when 
she promised on her “ honor ” that it meant some- 
thing. This was her first step toward a higher 
plane, and she promised herself “ on her honor ” 
that she would mount further. There was some- 
thing really fine in the girl, but it had never been 
developed. Her instincts had been smothered. 


162 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

her moral growth dwarfed. In this camp life 
with the Girl Scouts she was growing like a plant 
which has been shut away from sun and air and 
suddenly is set out in the open. 

That evening, after the wavering lights from 
the lanterns had led the whole company of girls 
to their meeting place, an open space under the 
stars, the story of the bridge was told, and then 
you never saw such an excited lot of girls. They 
believed in Scout work ; they were ready to meet 
any demand made upon them, but up to this point 
nothing very thrilling had come their way. They 
had drilled systematically, had practised signal- 
ing more or less as an amusement, had worked 
for the Red Cross, had helped others in various 
ways, but this was something more stirring, really 
brilliant. 

“ And to think that one of our girls saved that 
bridge! ” cried Margery. 

“ Bridge! That whole train full of soldiers, 
you mean,” said Dorothy Towers. “ It is posi- 
tively the most thrilling thing I ever knew.” 

“ It wasn’t only one girl; there were three of 
them, you know,” Lizzie, usually shy, spoke up. 
She did not mean that Carol and Helen should 
think she would accept the praise due even an 
unknown heroine. 


LIZZIE’S GOOD WORK 


163 


‘‘ Then I’ll bet you were the wigwagger,” de- 
clared Dorothy. “ Honest, weren’t you? Miss 
Lardner, wasn’t it Lizzie Snyder? We all 
know what a perfect wonder she is at signaling.” 

“ Of course it was, and I can prove it,” 
Margery said. “ I saw those three girls when 
they came in, and they were all three perfect 
sights, were smudgy, and all that. They wouldn’t 
give me any satisfaction, but now I know. You 
needn’t try to brazen it out any longer. Three 
cheers for Red Rose Troop, its best signaler, the 
leader of Patrol One and her corporal! ” 

The girls gave a rousing cheer which echoed 
through the woods and roused the sleepy birds, 
whose faint twitters answered the echoes. 
Carol’s hand reached out and sought Lizzie’s, 
which gave it an answering squeeze. What more 
might have happened in the way of honors one 
cannot say, for suddenly some one asked about 
the camp at the other side of the village, and 
immediately every girl wanted to know what 
could be done for the men. 

“ We simply must do something,” declared 
Margery. “We aren’t prima donnas, so we 
can’t go over and sing for them.” 

“ We might offer to darn their socks,” spoke 
up one practical young person. 


164 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 


A groan went up at this, and the suggestion 
was set aside, when another remarked that there 
would not be time in a week to darn the socks of 
a whole regiment, and moreover the socks might 
not need darning. Then somebody proposed 
that each girl should write a letter and send it 
over to the camp to those soldiers who might be 
lacking correspondents, but this, too, was cried 
down. 

Then up spoke Carol. “Pies!” she cried. 
“ I heard of some Girl Scouts who collected ever 
and ever so many pies, and took them to a camp 
of soldiers. Each man had quarter of a pie.” 

This proposition met with an enthusiastic 
reception. “ Fine! ” cried the girls. “ We can 
make a house to house canvass, gather in all the 
pies we can get and take them to the camp. 
Don’t you think it will be fun? ” Carol enlarged 
upon her subject. 

“ Simply great! ” agreed the rest. 

“We can hunt in couples,” said Margery, 
“ and I haven’t a doubt but we will gather up 
some rich experiences with our pies, so we shall 
have some good stories to tell.” Margery was 
always looking out for stories. 

They chattered on till bedtime, then the camp 
became quiet. 


CHAPTER XI 


PIES AN THINGS 


HE girls were up betimes the next morning 



A to start on their errand of pie gathering. 
Each couple took a certain section that there 
might be no calling twice at the same house. To 
Carol and Helen’s lot fell the edge of the town 
where stood Mrs. Meginnis’s house, and hers was 
the first door at which they knocked. Toby came 
bounding out to meet them, quickly recognizing 
old friends. Mike Meginnis, crippled with rheu- 
matism, was sitting in a big chair by the window. 
In answer to the knock Mrs. Meginnis came 
hurrying forward, wiping her hands on her 
apron. 

“ Bless us and save us,” she cried, “ ef it ain’t 
two av thim purties. I’ve been a-vmshin’ ye’d 
call by. An’ what’s the good wurrud the day? 
Will yez be afther steppin’ in to give me man a 
sight av ye? It’s but seldom he gits the chanst 
these days to rest his eyes on the likes o’ yez.” 

That they might afford Mike this treat the 
girls stepped into the cluttered up room, deciding 


165 


166 A GIEL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

after looking around that it was clean, although 
disorderly. Mrs. Meginnis swept a pile of things 
from one chair, dusted another with her apron 
and asked the visitors to be seated, herself taking 
a place on a rickety three-legged stool which 
seemed in danger of going to pieces at a touch. 
How she managed to balance her weight upon it 
remained a mystery to the girls during their 
entire stay. 

“ An’ have yez seen Granny Ryan an’ Pat 
Juley av late?” asked Mrs. Meginnis after they 
had shaken hands with Mike. 

“We saw them yesterday,” Carol told her. 

“ They do be gittin’ on foine, I’m told,” said 
Mike with a sigh. “ Ef me own legs was broke 
instid av twishted I’d be thankful. Ye can mend 
a break, an’ Granny Ryan’ll be gittin’ around 
sooner than mesel’.” 

“ Does the doctor not help you? ” asked Carol. 

“ Is it Dr. Ward? There’s little hope he do 
be givin’ me av riddin’ me av the shtiffness. 
He’ll come in wanst in a while but there’s little 
he kin do.” 

The girls wondered how the couple managed, 
till Mrs. Meginnis told them she took in washing 
and that Mike had a pension from a certain 
society. “ Granny Ryan’ll be lettin’ me have 


PIES AN' THINGS 


167 


the vegetables from her little patch, an’ that 
helps,” she told them. “ I’ve peeped through the 
fence many’s the day at the woods beyant where 
the troop av yez are that gay and happy, I’d 
ha’ gone furder, but I’d not intrude.” 

“ Why didn’t you come in? ” said Carol. 
“We would have been glad to show you our 
camp.” 

“ Well, dear, the truth is I’d not time. I’ve 
took the few things I wanted from Granny’s 
patch but me own is doin’ grand now and hers 
is all goin’ to weeds. She do be tellin’ me that 
loike as not she’ll not be goin’ back, annyways, 
havin’ found a mort o’ work to do wid knittin’ 
for the soldiers, an’ gittin’ good pay for it. She’s 
a rare knitter, is Peggy Ryan.” 

“ It’s to beg for the soldiers that we are out 
to-day,” said Carol, plunging into a subject 
which she had not had a chance to introduce be- 
fore. “ Do you ever make pies, Mrs. Meginnis? 
We are trying to get pies for the soldiers 
who are encamping on the other side of the 
town.” 

“ Pies, is it? Now isn’t that the luck? I was 
sayin’ to Mike this blessed mom that if he could 
manage to stone the cherries I’d be afther makin’ 
a batch av pies. We’ve the luck to have a cherry 


168 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 


tree in our back yard and they’re about ripe. 
I’d be plazed indade to give yez a pie for the 
b’ys.” 

“ That will be perfectly fine! ” cried both girls 
in a breath. “ But I am afraid it will be robbing 
you,” said Carol. 

“ Indade then it’s not. ’Tis as aisy to make 
two pies as wan, and it’s little chanst I have to 
do me bit.” 

“ Then when may we come for it? ” 

“ ’Twill be ready airly to-morrow mornin’. 
I’ll be makin’ the crust to-day, so that it’ll be a 
matter av a little while to git it done.” 

The girls took their departure as soon as they 
could, although it was a hard matter to get away. 
Toby followed them to the gate and looked after 
them wistfully, as if associating them in his dog 
mind with his own people. 

They were more or less fortunate in their quest, 
very few persons being unwilling to donate one 
pie at least. Some promised two, and one ardent 
soul, who had a son of her o^vn in the army, 
offered three. Still another said she couldn’t 
give them pies but maybe they would like a batch 
of doughnuts, and, as it was all grist which came 
to their mill, they accepted with thanks. 

They had about come to the end of their route 


PIES AW THINGS 


169 


on the main street in the center of the town when 
they saw the sign of “Dr. Ward,” and while 
they were hesitating whether to call or not out 
came the doctor himself. “ Well, well, well,” he 
cried, “two more of those Girl Scouts! The 
place is fairly alive with them to-day. What are 
you all up to? Everywhere I look I see a brace 
of khaki-colored girls. What is the excite- 
ment? ” 

“ We’re trying to get pies and things for the 
soldiers out at the camp,” explained Carol. 

“ P’ison things? That’s a nice tale, and did 
you think I would supply you with anything 
p’ison for those boys? I suppose you thought 
a doctor’s office would be the proper place to go, 
but I can tell you right now that I’ll have noth- 
ing to do with your nefarious scheme.” 

“ If you’ll give us the pies we’ll do without the 
things,” retorted Carol quick as a wink, knowing 
the doctor well by this time. 

“ That’s talking,” returned the doctor. “ Give 
me the case in plain, unvarnished English.” 

“ We heard of some Girl Scouts who collected 
pies for soldiers and we thought we would do the 
same, so our whole camp is out to-day gathering 
in the crop.” 

“ And what does your harvest promise? ” 


170 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 


“ It promises pretty well; at least I think we 
have been very successful.” 

“ Do you see that house across the street, the 
red brick one? ” 

“ With very green shutters and very white 
steps? ” 

“ That very one. If you will go over there 
and ask for pies I think it would be a good thing; 
then come back to my office and tell me your 
experience and I will promise you six pies.” 

“ Six! Oh, doctor, that is more than any one 
has promised. Of course we will go and ask. 
We are supposed to go to every house anyhow.” 

“ All right. Trot along and come back here 
to me.” 

The girls started across the street, wondering 
a little that the doctor should be so decided in 
wanting to know what sort of reception they 
would meet, but not at all deterred from doing 
their duty. They rang the highly polished brass 
door-bell. A tall, elderly, sharp-eyed female 
opened the door. She wore a black alpaca dress 
and a black silk apron which the girls thought 
rather a warm costume for a summer day. She 
eyed the callers keenly. “ Well, what do you 
want? ” she asked severely. 

“We are trying to get donations of pies for 


PIES AW THINGS 


171 


the soldiers at the camp/’ Carol, who was gen- 
erally spokesman, began in her usual way, “ and 
we thought perhaps you would like to spare us 
one.” 

“ Pies? Soldiers? I wouldn’t have a pie in 
the house. Indigestible, unwholesome food that 
such things are. As for your soldiers, they’d 
better be at home doing some useful work in- 
stead of learning how to kill. No, I don’t be- 
lieve in pies and I don’t believe in soldiering. 
Furthermore, I don’t approve of young misses 
going around dressed in any such fantastic style 
as you exhibit.” 

“ Good-morning,” said Carol, turning and 
running down the steps, her face very red. 

“ I think that was a mean trick for the doctor 
to play on us,” said Helen indignantly. ‘‘ Of 
course he knew exactly what kind of a woman she 
is. I should think you would be as mad as hops ; 
I am.” 

“ I was,” answered Carol, “ but I am getting 
over it. Now, I think it was rather funny, and 
I am trying to think of a way to get back at the 
doctor. I’d like to make him think she was 
lovely to us.” 

“ You couldn’t without telling a story.” 

Carol walked along thoughtfully, looking from 


172 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

one side of the street to the other, and wondering 
if the doctor were watching them. “ Come in 
here,” she said suddenly, grasping Helen by the 
wrist. “ Here is another brick house with green 
shutters. What luck ! ” 

They went up the steps, and when the door was 
opened it was by a neat maid who asked them in, 
and presently they were kindly greeted by a 
sweet motherly woman who listened to their 
errand with much interest. “ Give you a pie for 
the soldiers? Certainly. I will be glad to give 
you two. You will call for them to-morrow? 
Very well, they shall be ready. It is fine work 
you girls are doing. I have been hearing about 
you, and I wish we had a body of Girl Scouts in 
this town.” 

“ That is what Dr. Ward says.” 

“ Oh, you know the doctor? He is a char- 
acter, but he has a heart of gold. I doubt if 
there is a man more beloved in this place.” 

“ He is going to give us six pies,” Helen 
spoke up. 

Their hostess laughed. “ That is just like 
him ; it is a wonder he didn’t offer to supply the 
whole encampment. You tell him for me that I 
won’t guarantee to find him another cook if he 
loses this one. Tell him that Mrs. Keith says 


PIES AW THINGS 


173 


Ee mustn’t expect to do the patriotism for the 
whole town.” 

The girls went off in high good humor, and 
found the doctor waiting for them in his office, 
which was a back room, and therefore not over- 
looking the street. 

“ Well,” he said, looking up with his humorous 
twinkle, “ what luck did you have? ” 

“ Pretty good,” said Carol, without a smile ; 
“ we were promised two pies, and Mrs. Keith 
said to tell you that she won’t guarantee to find 
you another cook if this one leaves.” 

“ We told her about the six pies, you know,” 
Helen put in. 

The doctor looked from one to the other with 
a half disgusted expression. “ I told you to go 
to the brick house with green shutters, right 
across the street.” 

“We did go to a brick house with green 
shutters,” responded Carol, and then, being un- 
able to keep her gravity any longer, she burst out 
laughing. 

“You monkeys!” cried the doctor. “I be- 
lieve you are keeping something back. You 
knew well enough which house I meant, for you 
said very green shutters and very white steps. 
Here now, ’fess up.” 


174 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

So they ’fessed up, to the doctor’s great de- 
light. They left no part of the interview un- 
reported. 

“ You came mighty near getting the best of 
me that time. Look here, how are you going to 
collect your pies, and how do you mean to carry 
them to camp? I’d like to be there to see the 
presentation.” 

“ I suppose each one will carry what she can.” 

“ I know a trick worth two of that. Have 
you any idea how many pies there will be? ” 

Carol shook her head. “ I’m sure I can’t tell. 
We have been promised over twenty.” 

“ They’ll not all do as well as that. How 
many of you are on the job? ” 

“ About twenty girls, ten couples, I should 
say.” 

“ Well, to make a fair estimate there should 
be at least a hundred pies. Now, I propose that 
you take my man and my car to collect the pies. 
I will see that you have a stack of wooden plates 
to put them in to save the bother of returning 
plates or of having the pies squshed to a jelly. 
When you have finished collecting them you can 
come back for me, and I will drive some of you 
and the pies to the camp. How’s that? ” 

“ Perfectly lovely ! ” cried the girls. 


PIES AW THINGS 


175 


You always do think of the finest way out,” 
declared Carol. “ Your name should be R. E. 
Ward, for you are always rewarding us for our 
good deeds.” 

The doctor shouted. “Well, you are about 
the happiest girl I ever did meet. I’d like to take 
you around with me to visit my patients; you 
would be better than a tonic. It’s a go then, 
about the pie collecting? ” 

“ I should think so,” answered Carol. 

“ Are you going in to pay Granny Ryan a 
call now or are you going back to camp? ” 

“ I think as it is getting on toward dinner time 
we’d better go back to camp,” asserted Helen. 

“ By the way,” said the doctor, “ you tell Miss 
Lardner that I want to talk over Granny Ryan 
with her, so she’d better come along to-morrow. 
My office hours are over by eleven, so you can 
collect your pies up to that time and be out to the 
camp before twelve. You’d better be here by 
nine, at the latest. Here’s my car. I must be 
getting out.” 

The girls made their farewells and started back 
to camp much elated over their morning’s work. 
Good fortune had attended them all the way, and 
they were able to report more promised pies than 
any other pair of solicitors. 


176 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 


As Mrs. Keith had told them, the doctor never 
did anything by halves, so they should not have 
been surprised at the appearance of his car and 
driver just outside the camp grounds the next 
morning. The man brought a note from the. 
doctor to Miss Lardner which ran: 

‘‘ My dear Miss Lardner: 

“ You’d better pile in as many girls as 
possible, being sure that you are one of them. 
You can exchange the girls for pies when you 
get to town where you are to pick me up. Tell 
that joyous Carol of yours that I have a pun on 
her name to offset the one she made on mine. 

“ Sincerely yours, 

“ Hilary Ward.” 

Miss Lardner handed Carol the note to read 
while she settled the question of who should ride 
and who should walk to town. As many of the 
girls preferred the walk this was not so difficult, 
so finally she decided to take with her those girls 
to whom a ride in a motor car was an unusual 
privilege, and allow the others to walk, all meet- 
ing in front of Mrs. Meginnis’s house, the cherry 
pie there being the first to collect. A fine-look- 
ing pie it was, too. It was slipped on one of the 
wooden plates the doctor’s forethought had pro- 
vided, and was placed in a large flat hamper 


PIES AW THINGS 


177 


which was also a part of the equipment for the 
expedition. Before the business of assembling 
the entire lot of pies was over, however, there was 
no more room in the hamper, and recourse was 
had to strawberry crates, begged or borrowed 
from the grocers, so that by the time the car 
arrived before the doctor’s door the pies took up 
most of the room, and the passengers were fol- 
lowing on foot. 

“ Why didn’t we get a motor truck? ” shouted 
the doctor as he came running down the steps. 

“ Because this is a ‘ pi-oneer ’ expedition,” ex- 
claimed Carol, suddenly popping out from be- 
hind the car. 

The doctor frowned and shook his head at her. 
“ Sh! Sh! ” he said, “ that is too dreadful for 
any one else to hear. Please don’t do it again. 
Let me see, how shall we manage, Miss Lardner? 
I think we’d better let the man run the load out 
with a couple of girls to keep guard, and then he 
can come back for us. It isn’t more than fifteen 
minutes’ run.” 

So with Miss Starr, Miss Merritt, two of the 
girls in the automobile, another company taking 
to the trolley cars, and a third left behind to 
follow with the doctor, the expedition was 
started. 


178 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

How those boys in camp did relish those pies,j 
and what quick work they made of devouring 
them! Somehow it had leaked out that the Girl 
Scouts had saved the railroad bridge, so there 
was no honor too great to show them. 

What Dr. Ward had to say to Miss Lardner 
about Peggy Ryan was not revealed to Carol 
that day, for she elected to go back with her 
marching companions rather than in the car. 
The inspiration of the military display at the 
soldiers’ encampment, the salute of her own 
troop to the flag, the feeling that she was a part 
of the country’s great army of loyal citizens who 
were trying to do their best, all these made her 
wish rather for some activity than to be carried 
along in the doctor’s car with no effort on her 
part; and the more spirited of the girls felt the 
same way. 

However, when they had reached Peggy 
Ryan’s little house most of the little company 
readily agreed to rest here a while before going 
on to the camp, something more than half a mile 
further. So they opened the gate and went up 
to the porch where a straggling wild cucumber 
vine was making a brave showing. Back of the 
house was the little patch which Peggy called 
her garden. Carol and Helen went around to 


PIES AW THINGS 


179 


look at it while the rest of the girls amused them- 
selves in singing patriotic songs, and such things 
as the soldiers sang. Weeds were rioting all 
over the place and choking out tomato vines, 
climbing up corn-stalks and mixing themselves 
up so with the beans that one could scarce tell 
which was bean and which was weed. 

With the sound of “ We’ll rally round the flag, 
boys, rally once again,” in their ears the two girls 
viewed the sad little garden. 

“ It is a shame,” said Helen, to whom a garden 
was sure to appeal. “ All this shouldn’t be 
allowed to go to waste. I wish we had it near 
home ; we could weed it out and get a lot of stuff 
from it yet. I wonder why it has been so 
neglected, this of all years.” 

“ Well, you see Peggy can’t look after it. 
She left it to Mrs. Meginnis, who has what she 
can use in her own back yard. It is a little far 
from the town so no one has discovered it to raid 
on it, and there you are.” They began pulling 
away the tallest and most harmful weeds, but the 
girls on the porch called them before they had 
made much headway, and they were obliged to 
leave it. 

“ What were you doing back there all this 
time?” inquired Margery. 


180 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

“ Trying to tidy up Peggy Ryan’s garden 
a little. It is all overrun with weeds and will be 
no good whatever when she comes back.” 

“ Why don’t we all get to work on it, 
then? ” returned Margery. “ If we were to 
give a little time every day for the rest of the 
time we are here it would do some good, wouldn’t 
it?” 

“ To be sure it would,” Helen agreed. 

“ But what will become of the things if Peggy 
isn’t here to use them? ” asked Carol. “ I can’t 
see that she will get much benefit from our work, 
for by the time she gets back most of the things 
will have passed their season.” 

“ That is too bad,” said Margery. “ After all 
the trouble the poor old soul has taken to bring 
them this far along, to have no good of them is 
really tragic.” 

Then up spoke Maggie Sweeny. “ Sure then, 
why don’t we can ’em? ” 

“ Why don’t we, indeed? ” cried Margery. 
“ That is a perfectly fine and dandy idea, 
Maggie.” 

“ Where will we get the cans? ” asked Lizzie 
Snyder. 

“ There may be some in the house,” Carol 
suggested. 


PIES AN^ THINGS 


181 


Let’s peep in and see,” cried Helen. 

They went around from window to window, 
but so well had Miss Lardner and Carol closed 
shutters and drawn shades that there was little 
they could discover. 

“ Who has the key? ” asked Margery, swing- 
ing herself down from the porch railing where 
she had been standing tiptoe in order to look 
through a broken slat of a shutter. 

“ Mrs. Meginnis has it,” Carol told her, “ but 
I think that is too much of a walk after all we 
have done to-day. I reckon we’ll have to wait 
till to-morrow.” And to this the other girls 
agreed. 

“ There is one thing we can do,” Helen was 
ready with an idea ; “ we can go around and look 
at the garden and find out how much there is that 
would be worth canning.” 

This was quite a satisfactory substitute for the 
looking up of cans and jars, so around they 
trooped, finding that there would be sufficient 
to justify them in looking up the jars. Then 
they took up the march to the camp singing 
lustily: “ Good-bye, ’Liza, we’re going to can the 
Kaiser,” and feeling themselves quite ready to 
do that or any other kind of canning. 


CHAPTER XII 


CANS AND A CANTICLE 


HE girls could scarcely wait to lay their 



-I- scheme before their captains. “ Girls, 
girls,” cried Miss Lardner, “ don’t all talk at 
once. You sound like so many bees. I can’t 
make head nor tail of all this about Peggy Ryan’s 
garden and canning and jars and all that. Let 
one of you do the talking so we can understand. 
You, Margery.” 

“ Well, Miss Lardner, we stopped to rest at 
Peggy Ryan’s little house, and while we were 
resting Carol and Helen went around to look at 
the garden and found it all overgrown with 
weeds. We thought that was too bad, and we 
said we would all take a hand at clearing away 
the weeds. Then Carol, I think it was, asked 
what good the stuff would be if Peggy wasn’t on 
hand to use it when it was ready to use. Then 
one of the girls, it was you, Maggie, said why 
not can it, and that is what we want to do if we 
can get the jars. Don’t you think it would be 
fine for Peggy to come home and find a whole lot 
of things ready canned for winter? ” 


182 


CANS AND A CANTICLE 


183 


‘‘ It would be very fine, but, dear child, you 
have forgotten one important thing and that is 
time. We have only two more days here and 
how do you expect to get that all done in two 
days? ” 

“ But there are quite a lot of us. Miss Lard- 
ner, and we could really do a great deal if we 
put in all our time.” 

“ But that is just what you shouldn’t do. It 
would be all very well if we were to be here for a 
whole summer, but you see the outdoor life is 
what is specially needed, for my girls, at least.” 

‘‘ Oh, dear,” Margery gave a long sigh which 
was echoed by most of the others. “ It was such 
a lovely plan.” 

“ It is a lovely plan, and perhaps we can carry 
it out in part, but you must remember that you 
cannot use up Peggy’s whole crop, for I doubt 
if much of it is ready.” 

“ Some of it is,” Helen spoke up. “ We ex- 
amined it. Miss Lardner, and there are beets and 
beans that are quite ready. Tomatoes soon will 
be if we can get the weeds away so the sun can 
get at them. There are more potatoes and 
onions than anything else, anyway, and they 
have only to be gathered in when they are ready.” 

“ I must tell you before we go any further,” 


184 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TROOP 

said Miss Lardner, “ that Peggy will probably 
not come back here. The doctor was talking to 
me about her to-day. In the first place he thinks 
the little brown house is too isolated for an old 
woman like that to live in, and that she must not 
continue her gathering of herbs and roots, for, 
while her leg has knitted very nicely, if she were 
to grub around in the damp places of the woods 
it is very likely that she would feel the effects 
of it. Now that she has the socks to work upon 
she may be able to get more work of that kind to 
do which would pay her as well as what she has 
been doing. Besides that, it is necessary that 
little Pat Juley should be watched carefully and 
have frequent treatments at the hospital, so she 
should be near. The doctor’s brother, who owns 
the little brown house, is quite willing to allow 
Peggy to keep her furniture there, rent free, un- 
til she is well enough to set up some little home 
in the town.” 

The girls listened attentively to all this. 
Margery was the first to answer. “ But, Miss 
Lardner, she will want the canned things just as 
much next winter no matter where she lives.” 

“ Quite true, my dear, and if we can manage 
to get them ready for her I, for one, shall be 
delighted.” 


CANS AND A CANTICLE 


185 


“ Then, mayn’t we begin, just begin, to- 
morrow? ” 

“We could put up a few cans,” pleaded Lizzie. 

“ And we could do this,” Carol had an inspira- 
tion; “ we could gather all that is ready and take 
it home. We could divide it up and each girl 
could do her share, and send it to Peggy as she 
has a chance.” 

“ That might be done,” said Miss Lardner 
thoughtfully. 

“ I’ll guarantee to get it out to her,” promised 
Margery. “ I know my mother will let me take 
the car any day for a thing like that. Do, 
please. Miss Lardner, say that we can gather the 
vegetables to-morrow. It will keep us out-of- 
doors and be as much fun as any other game, 
besides, it will be doing our good turn at the 
same time.” 

“ Very well; I am agreed if Miss Merritt con- 
sents.” 

“ I agree with this proviso: that the girls do 
not work all day in the garden. The sun is hot 
and it may be too much for them. I propose that 
they give two hours, say from eight to ten, and 
if they have not then finished getting all that is 
in condition to pick, they can do the rest in the 
evening when it gets cooler.” 


186 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 


Miss Lardner endorsed this plan and the girls 
went off to get supper. 

With this new interest on foot all were up 
bright and early the next morning, needing no 
second call. Carol and Helen were appointed 
a committee of two to go after the key of the 
house, as the question of jars was still an interest- 
ing one. This time they tarried no longer than 
they could help, and were escorted back by 
Master Toby, who was overjoyed when the house 
was opened and whined at the door of the bed- 
room as if expecting to find his family there. 

It did not take the pickers long to gather in the 
small crop, and the way they attacked the weeds 
proved that they were not weakened by their stay 
in camp. A few jars were found in the small 
pantry. Wood was to be had close at hand for 
the little stove, and they saw that they could 
make at least a start. Those who had had no 
experience in canning set to work to prepare the 
vegetables, as this could be done indoors, out of 
the sun, but the hot work of canning must wait 
till midday was past. When the sun went down 
ten cans were standing all ready for Peggy, and 
a prouder set of girls one never saw. 

It was found that there were really not enough 
vegetables left to carry away, and that if tomatoes 


CANS AND A CANTICLE 


187 


ripened and com matured both would have to be 
gathered later. 

“ We’ll just have to trust to luck about it,” 
decided Carol. “We have made a beginning 
and I am not going to bother. This is our last 
day and I mean to be wildly happy if I can.” 

“ When you say it is our last day I am in- 
clined to be more miserable than happy,” said 
Lizzie mournfully. “ I shall remember this 
week all my life. I never got intimate with 
trees before, and I didn’t know one wild flower 
from another; now I know a dozen kinds. I 
hope, oh, I do hope I can come another year.” 

“ So say we all of us,” chanted Margery. 

The occupants of the various tents were busy 
in getting together their belongings for the next 
day’s exodus, and naturally one must hear every 
now and then an outburst of “ Pack up your 
troubles.” 

“ That’s getting monotonous,” declared Carol, 
coming to the door of her tent. “ Can’t some- 
body sing something else? We can’t be packing 
troubles every minute.” 

“ I wish we could,” sighed Lizzie, who was one 
of Carol’s tent-mates. 

“ I wish somebody would make a new song,” 
Margery called from the next tent. 


188 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

“ Then why don’t we do it? ” returned Carol, 
shaking out a skirt vigorously. 

“ Will you help? ” 

“ So far as my feeble powers will permit.” 

“ Come over, then, and let’s begin. There’s 
no time like the present.” 

“ I’ll come as soon as I have finished assembling 
my to-day’s unnecessaries.” 

Margery laughed. Carol’s original expressions 
always amused her. She went inside to collect 
paper and pencils and before long Carol joined 
her; then they went off to a quiet little spot by 
the stream to “ assemble ideas,” Carol told the 
others. 

“ We’d better take some tune and fit words to 
it; that will be the easiest way,” suggested 
Margery. “ Let me see, what shall we take? ” 
she asked, poising her pencil in air. 

Carol considered for a moment. “ Dixie is a 
good rousing tune,” she said. “ It stirs one up 
and is easy to march by. Suppose we take 
that.” 

“ Suits me,” answered Margery. “ I think 
the best way to do will be to write down the first 
verse, I suppose I should call it stanza, but that 
always sounds so stiff, somehow. We will write 
down the first verse, I will say, leaving room un- 


CANS AND A CANTICLE 


189 


der each line to write our own words. Don’t 
you think that would be a good system? ” 

“ Fine,” responded Carol. “ Look at those 
tiny little fishes, Margery. Did you ever see 
anything dart so fast through the water? I wish 
I could go like that; it must be such fun. Isn’t 
it lovely and peaceful here? Don’t you hate to 
think of the hot, dusty, noisy city? ” 

“ I certainly do, though we shall be going to 
the seashore pretty soon, so I shall get out of it.” 

“ Lucky you. How green the shadows are 
along the water’s edge. I never noticed before 
how very green they are.” 

“ If you don’t look out and stop wasting time 
the girls will be telling us how very green we are 
not to be able to write anything.” 

Thus admonished, Carol picked up her paper 
and they started to work in good earnest. After 
half an hour this is what they produced : 

** ’Way off here by the fields of clover, 

Camping days will soon be over, 

Look away, look away, look away, happy land. 

We’ve marched and wigwagged, cooked and rambled. 
Waded streams, through thickets scrambled. 

Still we’re here, with a cheer for our land ever dear. 
Away off here in Bena, away, away. 

On Bena camp we place our stamp. 

And live and die for Bena, 

Away, away, away off here in Bena. 


190 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 


“ We must go back to the city’s worries, 

Noise and dust and huriy-skurries, 

But we’ll go with a cheer for our land far or near. 
We’ll serve whene’er our country calls us, 
Whatsoever fate befalls us. 

In a hole, up a hill, rain or shine, good or ill. 

We’ll be disloyal never; away, away; 

We’ll give our best endeavor 
For the U. S. A. forever. 

Away, away. Three cheers for dear Old Glory ! ” 

“ While wishing to be modest,” remarked 
Margery as she read the lines over, “ I must ad- 
mit that I think that isn’t half bad.” 

“ At all events it is singable,” returned Carol, 
“ and that is what we wanted. It was lots of fun 
and I wish we could do some more. Somehow 
once you get started you feel like going on.” 

“ We haven’t time now. Come on, let’s take 
this up to camp and spring it on the crowd this 
evening. I hope we shall either have moonlight 
or that it will be cool enough for a fire. I be- 
lieve I would rather have the fire than the moon 
unless one is on the water.” 

Margery had her wish, for it turned suddenly 
cool enough to give excuse for a fire around 
which the whole company gathered to tell stories, 
sing songs, and make this last evening as cheery 
as possible. Carol and Margery waited till the 


CAKS AND A CANTICLE 


191 


I’est had about sung themselves out and then they 
started up the song they had made. 

“ Where did you get that? Where did you 
get that? ” came the eager question when they 
had finished. 

“We cannot tell a lie, sisters; we hatched it 
with our little hatchet.” Carol was the first one 
to answer. “ We decided to call it a canticle. 
After canning all yesterday morning we said we 
can and we did.” 

“ Carol Fenwick, you absurd child,” said 
Margery. “ If you keep on like that we will run 
you out of camp.” 

“Let’s do it! Let’s do it!” cried Maggie 
Sweeny and swept Carol to her feet with her 
strong arms. Margery joined in the chase, and 
soon they were racing around the circle, Carol 
dodging behind trees and leaping over barriers 
till finally her foot struck a tent peg and down 
she went sprawling. She picked herself up 
breathless, and the three went back to the circle 
where inspiration had seized one of the group 
who began to sing: 

“ Three Girl Scouts I See how they run ! ” 

This was immediately taken up and enlarged 
upon, then sung as a round which was kept up till 


192 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 


they wearied of it and another girl ventured a 
seeond verse. Still a third followed, which whole 
performance so pleased the party that they voted 
to write it down and keep it as a troop song. In 
its completeness it read as follows: 

“ Three Girl Scouts ! See how they run ! 

They all run away on a double quick, 

And do their drill with a hickory stick. 

Three Girl Scouts! 

‘‘ Eight Girl Scouts ! One patrol ! 

They all go at it with vigor and slam, 

And do their bit with Tommy and Sam. 

Eight Girl Scouts ! 

“Twenty Girl Scouts! On the march! 

They held their heads as a soldier should, 

They kept in step as we knew they would. 

Twenty Girl Scouts ! ” 

This might have been kept up indefinitely, for 
material did not seem to be lacking, but Miss 
Lardner blew the whistle, which meant that 
their last evening was over. 

“ If any one thinks Girl Scouts don’t have a 
good time I’d like them to have come to this 
camp,” remarked Lizzie, as she and Carol made 
their way to the tent they shared with two more 
of their own patrol. 

“We have had a good time,” agreed Carol. 


CANS AND A CANTICLE 193 

“ I shouldn’t wonder if we were to come again, 
for week-ends, maybe. Did you hear what Miss 
Lardner said about it? ” 

“No, I didn’t. What did she say? ” 

“ She said that several persons in the town were 
very anxious for a troop to be formed there, and 
that they meant to do it as soon as a proper cap- 
tain could be found, and that they wished we 
would come as often as we could and use these 
woods, for we could do a great deal in getting 
the new patrol started.” 

Lizzie looked very sober. “ Oh, if it didn’t 
cost so much,” she said woefully. 

“ Oh, but don’t you know that we have quite a 
sum over and above our expenses? We did so 
well with the entertainment, you know, and Miss 
Lardner said she thought we might well use it 
for one or two more trips here.” 

“ Oh, Carol, did she really? Where was I? 
This is the first I have heard of it.” 

“ I don’t know where you were; doing a last 
wigwag, I suppose. So, Miss Lizzie, just ‘ pack 
up your troubles in your old kit bag, and smile, 
smile, smile,’ ” which is what Lizzie did. 

“ I don’t like last things,” remarked Helen, 
as the four tent-mates were making ready for 
bed. 


194 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

“ Oh, I think some last things are lovely,” ob- 
jected Carol; “ dessert for example, and last days 
of school when it is hot and muggy.” 

“ Oh, well, of course,” Helen began lamely, 
then she broke off with; “ Did any one tell Mrs. 
Ryan about the canning? ” 

“ Oh, dear, yes. Miss Lardner told her and 
she was as pleased as Punch. Did you know 
that Pat Juley has a brace and can get along 
without her crutch? The doctor says in time he 
hopes she can give up the brace, too. She may 
always limp a little, but it may be scarcely notice- 
able after a while. Isn’t that fine? ” 

“ I should say so. My, but a lot of things 
have happened this summer, so many changes.” 

“ And there may be a lot more; one can never 
tell. Listen to that owl hooting. We’ll not be 
listening to him to-morrow night, woe is me.” 

“ Don’t say such things,” Lizzie spoke up. 
“ I am trying to forget about to-morrow night. 
I want to be cheerful if there is any way to do it.” 

“ Elizabeth, my child,” replied Carol, “ if you 
didn’t try so hard maybe you would get there 
quicker. Keep a pleasant thought in your mind 
and look directly at my left eyebrow. Do not 
move, please.” She popped do^vn on her knees, 
drew her skirl over her head, popped out again 


CANS AND A CANTICLE 


195 


and looking solemnly at the corner of the tent 
began to count, “ One, two, three/’ Lizzie’s face 
assumed a broad grin. Carol looked at her with 
icy politeness, saying: “ I am afraid I shall have 
to ask you to sit again,” then suddenly she turned 
a somersault from her own cot to Helen’s — the 
two stood side by side — and then took the pose 
of a flying Mercury. 

“ You certainly are on a high horse to-night,” 
remarked Helen. 

“ How little you know about furniture,” re- 
turned Carol. “ This isn’t a horse, it is a cot. 
You must forgive me, Nell; this is my last fling.” 
So saying she picked up a pillow and shied it at 
Helen. Then the whistle blew for lights out; 
after that silence must reign, and there was no 
chance for Helen to fling back. 


CHAPTER XIII 


THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE 

I T came as a surprise to Carol when Miss Lard- 
ner said to her on the way home: “ You will 
find your mother still with us, Carol, so you come 
right along home with me.” 

“ Mother isn’t ill, is she? ” asked Carol anx- 
iously. 

“ Oh, no, nothing of the kind. You will hear 
all about it when you see her. She and my 
mother have had a famous time together. I 
think it has done them both good not to have us 
around for a while to argue with them about 
things they want to do, and which we think 
maybe they shouldn’t.” Miss Lardner laughed. 
It was evident that she and her mother did argue. 
“ I may as well tell you,” Miss Lardner went 
on, ‘‘ that you will probably stay two or three 
days with us. I am not going to take the wind 
out of your mother’s sails by telling you any 
more, but I thought you should know that much.” 

This prospect was in the manner of a pleasur- 
able excitement, although Carol half regretted 
196 


THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE 197 

that she and her mother would not meet in their 
own little home. She was filled with curiosity 
to know what these plans meant, but she was 
sufficiently well acquainted with her captain to 
realize that there would be no use in asking her. 

The city seemed intolerably stuffy and dis- 
agreeable after the week in country air, although 
in the Lardners’ neighborhood it was more airy 
than where Carol and her mother lived. Most 
of the girls looked rather disconsolate as they 
bade her good-bye, but as she waved her hand to 
the little group waiting on the corner for their 
car, she called out: “ A Girl Scout is always 
cheerful,” and stretched her mouth to a brownie 
grin, which, of course, had the effect of develop- 
ing answering grins all along the line. A short 
ride in a crowded car and there they were. The 
elevator shot up to the fifth floor where the 
Lardners’ apartment was, and presently mothers 
and daughters were together again. 

Carol had hardly said how do you do? before 
she began her questions. ‘‘ Oh, mother, I am so 
excited. Why are we staying here? I expected 
to find you down-town. What has happened? 
Has there been a fire? Is there smallpox in the 
house? I have thought of a thousand possi- 
bilities,” 


198 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

Her mother smiled. “ I’ll be bound you have. 
Once start your imagination and it goes gallop- 
ing off at a great rate. What has happened is 
really quite fortunate as I look at it, and as it 
appears to others. It all came about so suddenly 
and I had to decide so quickly that I had no time 
to consult my daughter.” 

“ Oh, mother, that all sounds so mysterious — 
almost — almost as if you were going to be mar- 
ried.” 

“ Oh, Carol,” Mrs. Fenwick burst out laugh- 
ing, “ who but you would have thought of such a 
thing? That is farthest from my thoughts.” 

“ That is a great relief,” sighed Carol. “ For 
a moment my heart was in my mouth. Do tell 
me straight off as if it were a military order. I 
don’t need to be prepared for it so long as the 
worst is not to happen.” 

“ Well, dear, to come straight to the point, it is 
this: I have rented our apartment for three 
months ; furnished, of course.” 

“ Well, well, that is the last thing I could have 
thought of. Tell me all about it. Are the peo- 
ple there? What did you do with all my things? 
Where are we going to stay during the three 
months? How did you happen to hear of the 
tenants? ” 


THE LITTLE BEOWN HOUSE 199 

‘^Wait, wait; one question at a time. The 
tenants are not to come till the first of the week. 
In the meantime we shall collect those things 
which we shall need for ourselves, have the place 
cleaned, and all that. The question of where we 
shall go is still to be settled. I should like to 
go somewhere in the country if we could find a 
place cheap enough and within easy distance so 
I could come to the city once in a while to look 
after my orders. The trouble is that the near-by 
places are all so expensive, and the distant ones 
mean more expense in getting to them, so that 
is the situation. I thought we would talk it over 
with Miss Lardner, and get her ideas; she is a 
very resourceful person, you know. The tenants 
are named Abbott, and I heard of them through 
Miss Corning, who called up Mrs. Lardner one 
day to ask if she knew of an inexpensive apart- 
ment for some friends of hers who wanted to be 
in town for about three months. They were not 
at all particular as to the neighborhood, so long 
as the place was clean and comfortable, which 
I think ours is.” 

“ Have they seen it? Did they think it very 
slummy? ” 

‘‘ They didn’t think it slummy at all. They 
thought it was quaint and interesting. They 


200 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 


have lived abroad a good deal and were per- 
fectly fascinated with our funny foreign market 
on First Avenue, so I really believe they will be 
very content. Just think, Carol, what we re- 
ceive will pay our own rent and buy us food, too.” 

“ Oh, mother, dear, then you can rest.” 

“ I certainly should like to take a couple of 
weeks’ holiday, but it will depend altogether upon 
where we go and what it will cost us during the 
three months that we have no settled home.” 

“ I am crazily, lunaticously wild to have it de- 
cided where we shall go. Don’t you wish we 
could get hold of some cunning, darling little cot 
of a country home? Don’t you remember that 
funny old song your mother used to sing: ‘ Come 
share my cottage, gentle maid’? I wish you 
could sing that to me in honest, cross-my-heart 
truth.” 

“ Then I should have to change my daughter 
for some other. Do you consider yourself a 
‘gentle maid’?” 

“ Now, mother, I am sometimes. You would 
have to pick out one of those times to sing it in. 
If you were to cast me off and take in some other 
daughter I should just hate it. I would be a 
bantling, wouldn’t I, or do I mean a change- 
ling?” 


THE LITTLE BEOWN HOUSE 201 

** Probably you do.” 

What is a bantling, anyhow? ” 

“ It is a little child, an infant, I believe.” 

“ Perhaps I’d better look in the dictionary and 
see. Oh, I forgot; we aren’t at home and I have 
no right to go prowling around Miss Lardner’s 
apartment looking for dictionaries. Dear me, if 
I had known that I was coming back to all this 
excitement I wouldn’t have been half so sorry to 
leave.” 

“ Then you had a good time, and were sorry to 
leave? ” 

“ I had a royal time and I would like to do it 
all over again, only of course I did want you. 
If I were a bird I could do both ; live in the woods 
and get to you whenever I wanted. We named 
our camp after a pheasant; the Indian name 
sounds as if it meant good or well, and we thought 
it very lucky that it is so short. It is Bena, you 
know. I think I wrote to you about it. Some 
of the Indian names, most of them, are so long 
they would have to be divided up into parts and 
we would have had to use one part at a time.” 

“ Which would have been rather inconvenient. 
Don’t you think, dear child, you’d better be 
thinking of changing your dress for dinner? It 
is almost time.” 


202 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

“ Oh, yes; I forgot that I mustn’t wear my 
Scout suit. I must try to look very nice and 
ladylike before Mrs. Lardner. What shall I 
wear, mother? Oh, dear, I haven’t anything 
here, have I? ” 

“ Yes, I brought up a suit case with several 
of your dresses. You will find them in the lower 
drawer. You may wear the white one, if you 
like.” 

“ For which gramercy, fair lady. What does 
gramercy mean, by the way? ” 

“ It means great thanks and comes from the 
French grand merci, meaning the same thing.” 

“ Then that time I was right. I just happened 
to fall into that rightness, for I really didn’t know 
exactly.” 

Carol had not stopped talking one minute 
since she came in, and was ready just in time for 
dinner. She could not wait to have the subject 
of their future plans discussed, but plunged in 
at once. “ Dear Miss Lardner,” she began, 
“ don’t you know of some wee little hut where 
mother and I could roost for the rest of the 
summer? It wouldn’t have to be very big, for 
even if we were to go to a farmhouse we couldn’t 
have but one room, and if we have all out-of- 
doors who cares?” 


THE LITTLE BEOWN HOUSE 203 

“ You see, Mrs. Fenwick,” said Miss Lardner, 
smiling, ‘‘ what an out-of-doors girl we are mak- 
ing of your daughter. I don’t know how you 
will keep her within bounds after this week of 
free life.” 

“ She might stake me out like they do cows and 
calves,” put in Carol. “ If it were up in our 
woods and the rope were long enough I don’t 
think I should mind it much.” 

“We are hoping to find some little lodge, you 
know. Miss Lardner,” Mrs. Fenwick said. 

“Yes, I know. My mother has been telling 
me of the change you have made and I think you 
are very wise to rent your apartment.” 

“ With my son gone I felt that we should try 
to reduce expenses as much as possible,” Mrs. 
Fenwick responded, “ and wherever we go from 
here it will have to be a very cheap place.” 

Miss Lardner looked at her plate thoughtfully 
for a few moments before she said, “ Carol, I 
wonder if Peggy Ryan’s little brown house would 
be comfortable enough for you and your mother. 
You could get it for almost nothing, I am sure; 
it would be within easy distance of the city, and 
close to our camp grounds. Of course it is very 
simple, scarcely more than a shack, but perhaps 
you could fix it up a little and make it do.” 


204 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

Carol sprang to her feet, and rushed around 
to give her captain a hug. 

“ Carol, Carol,” chided her mother, “ don’t be 
so exceedingly demonstrative when Miss Lard- 
ner is at dinner.” 

“ I can’t help it, mother,” answered Carol, go- 
ing back to her place. “ Of course we could 
make it do. It is a tiny place, mother, only two 
rooms and a sort of shed, though I believe there 
is a queer little cubby-hole of an attic, but I be- 
lieve it is clean, and there would be enough fur- 
niture to make out with. Don’t you think so. 
Miss Lardner? ” 

“ I think it could be made to do on a pinch, 
although I am not sure about the bed; it didn’t 
seem a very luxurious affair to me.” 

“ It did look rather humpy and lumpy,” 
acknowledged Carol dubiously. “ I don’t sup- 
pose we could afford to get two army cots, could 
we, mother?” 

“ I don’t see why you should do that,” Miss 
Lardner broke in, “ for you know there are 
several over and above the number we shall 
need again this year, for I don’t suppose we 
shall have a very large party to go up week- 
ends. You remember that we stored some 
of the cots in Peggy’s house and I do not 


THE LITTLE BEOWN HOUSE 205 

see why you should not be allowed the use of a 
couple.” 

“Oh, mother!” Carol exclaimed raptur- 
ously. 

“ But suppose Mrs. Ryan should want the rest 
of her furniture, then what? ” 

“ We shouldn’t need mueh even if she did take 
hers,” Carol eagerly met this objection. “We 
could make things of boxes and boards. You 
know my own dressing table is a dear and you 
made it out of packing boxes. I am sure we 
managed very well in the tents where we had next 
to no furniture, and this will be almost like camp- 
ing out. Oh, do, dear mother, say that we can 
manage. I would be willing to hang up on a 
peg at night and eat from a window sill or any- 
thing.” 

“ Well, dear, we will see. We must find out 
first if the scheme is practicable, whether we can 
really get the house, and what the rent would be. 
It may be that the amount we might save would 
warrant us in getting a few necessaries, such as 
a table and a few chairs. I do not think Mrs. 
Abbott will need all our odds and ends of china- 
ware, for we have much more than we use our- 
selves. I will go over it with her and whatever 
she does not care for we can pack in a barrel and 


206 A GIEL SCOUT OP EED EOSE TEOOP 

take along, if we find that we are going to take 
the house.” 

“ Please don’t say it in that uncertain way, 
mother,” begged Carol. “ Do say, when we take 
the house.” 

“ But, my dear, I cannot say that until I 
see it.” 

“ But you will see about it right away, won’t 
you? To-morrow? Can you go up to-morrow? ” 

Mrs. Fenwick looked at Miss Lardner, who 
said, “ It seems to me it might be a good plan to 
get in touch with Dr. Ward the first thing, for if 
the plan is not feasible there is no use in making 
the unnecessary trip. We can call him up on 
the ’phone, long distance, and five minutes’ talk 
will probably settle the whole thing.” 

“ Won’t you do it right away after dinner? ” 
pleaded Carol. “ I shall sleep so much better if 
I know it is all right.” 

The others laughed. “ I am not afraid of 
your having a wakeful night in any event,” said 
Mrs. Fenwick. “ I suppose, Miss Lardner, that 
we may as well save time by finding out at once. 
Shall I call up or will you? ” 

“ I shall be very glad to, if you would rather. 
Perhaps it would be better, as I know the doctor 
and all the various points.” 


THE LITTLE BEOWN HOUSE 207 

Carol could scarcely wait till the thing was 
done and Miss Lardner hung up the receiver 
ready to report the conversation. “ Well? ” she 
said anxiously. 

Miss Lardner smiled down at her. “The 
doctor thinks it can be arranged without doubt. 
He will see his brother this evening, Peggy Ryan 
also, and will then write us results so we can have 
word to-morrow morning. That is how the 
matter stands.” 

“ Of course it isn’t really and truly,” said 
Carol, trying to be satisfied, “ but don’t you think 
it is near enough true for us to talk about what 
we must take? ” 

“ It looks so to me,” replied Miss Lardner with 
an amused look in Mrs. Fenwick’s direction. 

“ Then you will talk about it? ” Carol turned 
to her mother. 

“ Anything rather than have you kept awake 
all night,” replied that lady. 

“ Now, mother,” Carol pretended to be of- 
fended at this slur, but was soon ready to discuss 
cots, chairs, china and draperies. 

A letter from Dr. Ward the next morning de- 
termined Mrs. Fenwick to go out at once and 
look the land over. Carol begged so hard to be 
allowed to go, too, that her mother had not the 


208 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 


heart to refuse her; then Miss Lardner did not 
want to be left out of the expedition, so the three 
started forth bright and early to the little to^vn 
of Brookbush, scarce more than fifty miles away. 

Miss Lardner had wired the doctor that they 
were coming, so he was on hand to meet them 
with his car, an attention they had not expected. 

“ Now, doctor,” expostulated JNIiss Lardner, 
“ you shouldn’t have done this. We could per- 
fectly well have walked out.” 

“ Why shouldn’t I have done it if I wanted 
to? ” retorted he. “ Isn’t it always advertised 
by real estate agents that prospective tenants 
will be transported to and from property? I am 
the agent, it seems to me.” 

“ Such profitable tenants as we are liable to 
be,” remarked Mrs. Fenwick. “ I don’t won- 
der that you wish to do all in your power to 
secure us.” 

“ It isn’t a question of money profit in this 
case,” returned the doctor, “ but of something 
worth far more. Why, Mrs. Fenwick, the mere 
fact that you and your daughter will take up a 
residence in Granny Ryan’s house is quite enough 
to boom that locality. I shouldn’t be surprised 
in another year or so to see that vicinity quite the 
fashion, and half a dozen bungalows going up. 


THE LITTLE BEOWN HOUSE 


209 


I told my brother it would be a good business 
proposition to get a thing like that started by the 
right people, and he agrees with me. He is a 
lawyer, in court to-day, gone to our court town, 
so he has deputized me to speak for him. Now 
what we shall do is to go out to the place and see 
if there are any little repairs necessary, then we 
can talk business.” 

The three or four miles of distance seemed 
much less when traveling by automobile than 
when walking, and the car had swung around in 
front of Peggy’s gate before Carol realized they 
were there. She gave a swift look at her mother, 
fearing for the effect of this first view of the 
little house and its surrounding. As is the case 
with any house unoccupied for any length of 
time, it looked dingy and forlorn. The un- 
painted picket fence, the gate sagging on its 
hinges, the front yard overgrown with weeds and 
high grass, the uneven slant of the porch, the 
loose board in the flooring and the shutters want- 
ing more than one slat certainly did not give one 
a very fair impression. 

The doctor fitted the key in the door and they 
followed him in. He looked around at the pile 
of cots on one side the room, the smoke-stained 
walls, the sparse furnishings, then he looked at 


210 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

INIrs. Fenwick with a whimsical smile. “ I 
shouldn’t call it a charming Italian villa,” he 
said, “ and I confess it looks pretty discouraging 
to me. I hadn’t noticed how bad it was when I 
was here to see old Peggy.” 

“ Suppose we open the windows, then sit down 
and look around,” suggested Mrs. Fenwick, 
“ and perhaps we can see the possibilities better.” 

It did not take long to throw open the windows 
and let the sweet air in with the light of day, but 
the room did not show to as gTeat advantage then 
as in more obscurity. Mrs. Fenwick seated her- 
self in the big chair, while the doctor, examining 
the walls, striking his heel on the floor, and peer- 
ing into corners, showed himself determined not 
to let anything escape his observation. Carol 
and Miss Lardner, meantime, went into the little 
bedroom to see how things appeared there. 
When they came back Mrs. Fenwick and the 
doctor were talking animatedly. 

“ I am sure he will promise to paint the wood- 
work, and do something to the walls,” the doctor 
was saying, “ and as to the outside, that could be 
cleaned up, the shutters and gate mended, and 
the fence whitewashed, if you liked.” 

“ Oh, I don’t mind the fence,” Mrs. Fenwick 
returned; “ it matches the house, and really is less 


THE LITTLE BEOWN HOUSE 211 

conspicuous as it is. Are those the cots you 
were speaking of, those three against the wall? 
Could we have them all? ” 

“ Oh, dear, yes, and welcome,” Miss Lardner 
told her, while Carol listened breathlessly. 

“ There’s a man I can set right to work,” the 
doctor went on. “ He is not long out of the hos- 
pital and will be glad enough of a job. What 
color would you like these walls, Mrs. Fenwick? 
White, I suppose.” 

“ No, I think I should prefer a deep cream.” 
She walked to the door of the next room and 
stood thoughtfully looking in. “ There would be 
plenty of room for two cots, and the other things 
we need,” she said. “ Could your man put up 
some shelves for us, doctor? ” 

“ He can do anything you like, or if he cannot 
another will.” 

She crossed the floor and opened the door 
which led to a small shed. “ One could really 
make a little summer kitchen of this. It could 
be enclosed in wire netting and would be much 
more comfortable for summer than the inside 
room. I could use a blue flame stove, you see. 
Don’t you think that would be a good plan, 
doctor? ” 

The doctor came to her side and looked out,: 


212 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

“ First-rate,” he exclaimed. “ You’ll be having 
a full establishment after a while. You see there 
is a pump right here, and they say the water is 
unusually good.” 

Mrs. Fenwick stepped outside and looked up 
at the room. “ We could get a hogshead and set 
it here to catch rain water,” she went on with her 
planning. “ It could have a spigot on this side 
so it would lead right to this little kitchen. Soft 
water is such a boon sometimes.” She went back 
to the main room. It was well she had the 
artistic eye and the imagination which could see 
possibilities in unpromising things, for to the 
ordinary observer the room certainly did not 
present a very inviting appearance. “With 
some pretty bright chintz curtains at the win- 
dows, a divan cot over there with some cushions 
to give color, a big table with books on it and a 
lamp with a nice shade, some book-shelves, a few 
quaint chairs, and the fireplace duly set up, it 
would really be a most presentable room. Don’t 
you all think so? ” 

For answer Carol flung herself into her 
mother’s arms. “ Oh, mother,” she cried, “ then 
you have really decided to take it? ” 

“ I really have,” she answered. And that is 
how they came to live in the little brown house. 


CHAPTER XIV 


QUEER PETS 


OU are sure you will not be lonely? ” said 



A Mrs. Fenwick as she and Carol were on 
their way down to their late home the next day. 
“We shall not have much company, you know, 
and I am afraid you will miss your girl friends.” 

“ Oh, but I shall have you, and I will hunt up 
some sort of pet; then some weeks there will be 
camping parties coming up to the woods. I 
promised Mrs. Meginnis that I would go over 
and read to her husband once in a while; then 
there will be Granny Ryan to go to see once a 
week or so, and I’m going on a regular rampage 
to drum up Girl Scouts. You know there is a 
Boy Scout troop at Brookbush, but no Girl 
Scout. That is one of the things we should try 
our best to do, and that is to get new Scouts.” 

“You are wearing your rose-colored spectacles 
to-day, aren’t you, dear? and you seem to have 
it all planned out.” 

“ Of course. That is one of the joyous things 
to do. Helen and I call it ‘ What if-ing.’ It is 
one of our favorite games. I will say, ‘ What if 


213 


214 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

your father should suddenly have a fortune left 
him, then what? ’ and we go off into all sorts of 
wild imaginings.” 

“ I can vouch for the wild imaginings,” said 
Mrs. Fenwick laughing. 

“Sometimes we say: ‘What if somebody 
should invite us to take a trip anywhere we should 
select, where would we go? ’ And then we have 
a lovely time choosing places and looking them 
up on the map. Helen isn’t quite so wild about 
it as I am ; she doesn’t always what-if very inter- 
esting things, but she catches on pretty quickly 
when I start off. As soon as we are through at 
the apartment I must go over to Helen’s. Just 
think of it, won’t she be surprised at my news? ” 

Helen certainly was surprised at the news. 
At the familiar call of: “Hello, Nello!” the 
answer came promptly, from the little garden, 
as one might expect: “ Here-o, Caro! ” and Carol 
went there to find her friend down on her knees 
among the cabbages. 

“ They aren’t quite so bad as I expected, but 
they have some little horrid green worms on them 
and I must get them off. Dad and the boys kept 
things going pretty well.” She carefully de- 
posited a green worm in a tomato can by her 
side. 


QUEEE PETS 


216 


^ What do you think? ” began Carol, squatting 
down by Helen’s side to watch the process of 
ridding cabbages of worms. “ I have the won- 
derfullest piece of news.” 

“ Oh, Caro, has any one left you a fortune? ” 
inquired Helen, allowing one of her prey to fall 
to the ground. 

Carol laughed. “ Far from it. You wouldn’t 
guess if you guessed all night.” 

“ Let me see. Your brother has a commis- 
sion.” 

“ Nothing to do with Dick, at least not now. 
I hope it may have something to do with him 
after a while.” 

“ You and your mother are going to see him.” 

“ Not even warm. You are cold, cold, cold. 
One more guess.” 

“ Something to do with him after a while,” 
mused Helen. “ I give it up. It is too mysteri- 
ous for me.” 

“ Well, to begin with, mother has rented our 
apartment for three months, rented it furnished 
to some friends of Miss Coming’s.” 

This brought Helen to her feet. ‘‘ Oh, Carol, 
where will you go? Aren’t you going to be in 
the neighborhood? I don’t call that good news 
at all.” 


216 A GIEL SCOUT OP EED EOSE TEOOP 

“ I didn’t say good news, though I think it is,j 
and maybe you will when you hear the rest of it. 
We are going to the country. Isn’t that 
lovely? ” 

“ But where? ” 

“ That’s the point. You never in the wide 
world will guess. We have taken Peggy Ryan’s 
little house, and are going to it just as soon as 
it can be made ready for us, and that will be in a 
few days, for Dr. Ward is going to set the man 
to work this very day.” 

“ Oh, Carol, that mean little place? How can 
you bear to go to it after your dear little apart- 
ment? I think that is anything but a happy 
prospect. I don’t see how you can be so pleased 
about it.” 

“ Just you wait and see. I’m not going to tell 
you a word about it, for you can come out and 
see for yourself. By the time we are settled you 
will probably come up with Miss Lardner and 
the girls to camp.” 

“ Well, that is one thing to be thankful for,” 
acknowledged Helen; “you will be close to the 
camp, and I can see you oftener than if you were 
going to some impossible place. What about 
Granny Ryan? ” 

“ She is going to have a place in the town, so 


QTJEEE PETS 217 

Pat Juley can go to the hospital for her treat- 
ments.” 

“ Then you are not going to use her furniture. 
How will you manage if you have rented your 
apartment furnished? ” 

“ Wait and see. I want you to be surprised, 
so I shall not spoil it by telling you.” 

“ Are you going to stay at Miss Lardner’s till 
you go? ” 

“ I think so; it won’t be for very many days. 
We shall go as soon as we possibly can and picnic 
until we get in order. Mrs. Meginnis is going 
to clean the house and will do our washing. 
That much is settled. I must go, for mother will 
be waiting.” 

She left Helen feeling rather bewildered and 
really sorry for her friend who, she believed, was 
putting the best foot forward. She could not 
imagine how any one could be so glad to go to 
Peggy Ryan’s house to live, and she went in to 
tell her mother about it while Carol started back 
to join her mother. 

True to his word, the doctor set his man right 
to work. Mrs. Fenwick and Carol hunted the 
shops for bargains in draperies, not so hard to 
find at this time of year when so many shoppers 
were out of town. They found some pretty, 


218 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 


bright cretonnes, and some odds and ends of 
India prints to cover divan and tables. A barrel 
was packed with dishes and cooking utensils, 
another with bedding, and they were ready to go 
as soon as summoned. This was a day or two 
later than they expected, but one morning they 
were off with their trunks, boxes and barrels, 
and by noon were eating a picked up lunch from 
an improvised table made of the two barrels with 
a board laid across them. Peggy’s belongings 
had been moved out, the house had been scrubbed, 
the windows washed, the floor stained, the wire 
netting tacked up outside the little back porch. 
The walls had received a wash of soft buff, the 
woodwork a coat of white paint. 

“ What a difference it makes ! ” said Carol, 
looking around as she munched a sandwich. “ It 
looks so bright and clean. The room seems 
twice as large, too.” 

“ I think we can make it a dear little nest,” said 
Mrs. Fenwick, much pleased at results. “ Of 
course the work will not be so easy as in an apart- 
ment, but we shall live more simply, and that will 
make a difference. There are no stairs to climb, 
and no dust of any account, so we can keep our 
windows open day and night without having a 
cloud of dust and soot always blowing in.” 


QUEEE PETS 


219 


They had scarcely finished their meal before 
Nora Megimiis appeared to lend a hand. She 
had left a neighbor to sit with her husband. 
Toby followed her, but was evidently bewildered 
at finding his old home so altered. He went 
sniffing around, looking for familiar objects; 
finding none, he went over to Mrs. Meginnis, laid 
his head in her lap and looked up in her face wist- 
fully, as if to say, “ Where are they gone? Is 
this my old home or isn’t it? ” 

“ The pore baste do be pinin’ fur his own,” 
said Mrs. Meginnis. “ I’m thinkin’ that Peggy’ll 
find it hard to kape him within if she takes him 
to the town, an’ me man is hopin’ she’ll not be 
afther wantin’ him, whiles I do be feelin’ that 
ways mesel’.” 

Mrs. Meginnis’s sturdy arms soon had cots 
swung in place, barrels and boxes opened, dishes 
unpacked, and beds made. As yet there were 
no chairs to sit upon, but boxes served, and when 
at nightfall Nora had departed, the tired house- 
holders sat down together on the top step of the 
porch with a sense of peace within and peace 
without. 

A spotted brown toad hopped out upon the 
walk and sat there in seeming contemplation. 
Swallows flew twittering overhead. There came 


220 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

an odor of freshly cut grass, of pine woods and 
good brown earth. There was no sound except 
the distant murmur of the little stream which, 
after leaving the woods, “ chattered over stony 
ways,” where it crossed the road. 

“ This is perfect peace,” sighed Mrs. Fenwick. 
“ If only our dear Dick were here I would be 
absolutely content.” 

Carol got up and went over to where the toad 
still sat blinking. He did not give so much as 
one hop as she squatted down to watch him dart 
out his little flame of a tongue to catch an un- 
wary insect. “ He is very funny,” said Carol, 
going back to her mother. “ You should see him 
shut his eyes and look so ridiculous when he 
swallows. I rather like toads. I shall try to 
tame this one; he did not seem to mind me at all.” 

“ You certainly have not wasted time in find- 
ing a pet, uncouth though it may be,” said her 
mother. 

“ I don’t think I shall care to handle him,” 
returned Carol, “ though perhaps he will let me 
scratch his head with a bit of straw. I wish we 
could have Toby, he is such a dear dog, but he 
has two owners already, and the most we can 
expect is to have him pay us a visit once in a 
while. It would be rather nice to have a cow. 


QUEEE PETS 


221 


only I don’t know who would milk her. I would 
like to get a nice little green snake to keep in the 
house to catch flies.” 

“ Oh, daughter, not a snake! ” 

“ Why not? Those little green snakes are 
perfectly harmless, and are so pretty. I don’t 
see why any one should be afraid of them and 
yet nearly every one is, and they kill them with- 
out any reason for it except that they are snakes. 
Do you know I heard a bird singing real late 
this evening, away off in the woods. I think it 
must have been a hermit thrush. I could not 
quite tell; it was so far away. That is another 
thing, blessed mother, that we can do; we can 
study the birds. This will be a lovely place to 
do it, for it is so undisturbed by people or any- 
thing that will hurt them. I saw a nest some- 
where. I must look it up and find out what 
kind of bird built it.” She leaned her head 
against her mother’s laiee, and before she knew 
it a voice reached her from some dim and distant 
void, a voice which said: 

“ Carol, child, I believe you are asleep. This 
won’t do! Come, let us go to bed.” 

In another week the little house was quite in 
order, and even the outside presented a very 
different look. Inside it was cheery enough. 


222 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 


The curtains were up, a couple of rugs were on 
the floor, the divan, with its pretty cover and 
cushions, was the embodiment of comfort. Un- 
der Mrs. Fenwick’s direction the handy man had 
made a simple table for the center of the room. 
A couple of expeditions, ];)iloted by Dr. Ward, 
resulted in the purchase, for a mere song, of two 
or three old chairs, and Nora Megiimis “ lint 
thim the loan ” of a pair of brass andirons for the 
fireplace. In their hunt for chairs they picked 
uj), likewise, a couple of brass candlesticks and a 
quaint old pitcher. The box of books they had 
brought, with shelves in it, made a bookcase. 
Another set of shelves, artistically curtained, held 
their dishes, and a single shelf served as a place 
for writing. Flower boxes on the porch and 
rustic hanging baskets were still to be placed, 
but would come in good time. 

The bedroom with the two cots, a dressing 
table covered with flowered chintz, a wash-stand 
to match, and a couple of chairs was furnished 
sufficiently for their needs. 

Peggy had begged that they would make use 
of the few remaining vegetables in the garden, 
and indeed these ripened so slowly that there was 
little use in trying to do more than use them as 
they came along. The potato crop, when it 


QUEEE PETS 


223 


should come time, would be gathered and sent to 
Meanwhile Carol delighted in making 
a discovery of a few ripe tomatoes, of a couple of 
ears of corn ready to pull. An old apple tree 
promised them early apples, and Mrs. Meginnis 
brought them from her tree a large basket of 
cherries, so they felt themselves amply provided 
with such things. 

They had asked Dr. Ward not to come to see 
them till they should be fairly settled, which 
fretted the good man not a little. They were 
his special charges and he was anxious to see to 
it that they fared well. He cut the week short 
by one day and appeared one afternoon, coming 
in with his bluff and hearty manner. He paused 
on the door-sill and looked around the room 
while Mrs. Fenwick came forward to greet him. 
“Well, I’ll be everlastingly dumfoozled!” he 
exclaimed. “ I never would have believed it. 
Where do you keep that Aladdin’s lamp of yours, 
Mrs. Fenwick? I never saw such witchery. It’s 
a gem, just enough and not too much. Things 
made out of actually nothing and as pretty as can 
be. I wish my wife could see it.” 

“ Why can’t she? ” 

The doctor looked grave. He came in and sat 
down. “ My dear madam,” he said, “ she can 


224 A QIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 


see nothing outside her room; she is a hopeless 
invalid, has to be lifted from chair to bed and 
from bed to chair. She had an accident years ago 
and has been like that ever since. She is as 
cheerful as possible, however, and likes to have 
friends come in. I have been telling her about 
you and that girl of yours and she is most anxious 
to see you. Where is that girl, by the way? ” 

“ I think she is out playing with her toad,” 
said Mrs. Fenwick, with a little smile, “ or else 
she is hunting up a green snake which she hopes 
to induce me to allow her to make a housemate 
of. She says it will be better than fly paper and 
much more merciful in ridding the house of flies.” 

“ She does beat the Dutch! ” cried the doctor. 
“ However, she is about right. Where did you 
get your andirons? ” 

“ Nora Meginnis lent them to us. She has 
no use for them, she says, and they da set off our 
fireplace finely. So you like our little place, 
doctor? Come in and see what we have done in 
the other rooms. Our little kitchen is a great 
convenience. Carol is hoping for a thunder- 
storm heavy enough to fill our rain barrel. You 
see we have screened it to keep mosquitoes from 
breeding. There is Carol, out in the garden. 
She couldn’t have seen you come in or she would 


QUEER PETS 


226 


have been here at once/’ She beckoned to her 
daughter, who came with her hands full of 
tomatoes. 

“ All these to-day, mother,” she said; “ enough 
for us to have them fried for supper; they are so 
good that way. Oh, there’s the doctor, a day 
ahead of time. I am glad to see you. Dr. Ward.” 

‘‘ Even if I had to come a day ahead of time? 
To tell you the truth, I couldn’t restrain my 
curiosity. I shall have to be very guarded how 
I tell people about this place or you will be over- 
run with visitors.” 

“ Oh, please,” Mrs. Fenwick began. 

The doctor laughed. “ I will protect you, 
never fear, although I am afraid Nora Meginnis 
will be doing her share of talking. By the way, 
was everything satisfactory? Anything more to 
be done? ” 

“ Nothing, doctor,” Mrs. Fenwick told him. 
“ You are certainly a considerate agent.” 

“ Don’t talk about that. Didn’t I tell you that 
it was a paying proposition ? I must bring Granny 
Ryan and the little girl out to see the place some 
day; it will make them open their eyes.” 

It was just as he was going that he turned and 
said half deprecatingly: “ If I were to come out 
for you some afternoon, I wonder if you would 


226 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 


mind going in to see my wife. It would mean 
a lot to her.” 

“ Go? Of course we’d be only too glad to go,” 
Mrs. Fenwick told him. 

He took rather an abrupt leave, leaving Carol 
wondering. “ What was that about his wife? ” 
she asked her mother. “ I didn’t loiow he had 
one. Nobody ever told us he did.” 

“ Probably we know no one who might have 
done so. Our acquaintance in Brookbush is not 
large.” 

“ It is a wonder that Mrs. Meginnis didn’t tell 
us, she is such a talker. I am going to ask her.” 

“ There may be some reason why she didn’t 
mention it. The poor lady is a great invalid, the 
doctor told me, and I fancy few ever see her. 
She rarely, if ever, leaves her room. Her con- 
dition is owing to an accident she had years ago, 
and from which she has never recovered.” 

“ Poor thing! There will be a chance for good 
turns there, perhaps. I have been wondering a 
little where I would find my chance off here. 
You know a Girl Scout should do a good turn 
for some one every day. I have Mike Meginnis 
on my list as a regular, Granny Ryan and Pat 
Juley, too; now perhaps I can add Mrs. Ward. 
It was much easier in the city to find good turns 


QUEEE PETS 


227 


to do. I shall have to do twice as many when I do 
get back to make up for the days I can’t do any 
here. Don’t you think that would do, mother? ” 
Carol gave a little sigh. 

“ I should think that would average up very 
well. Are you beginning to miss your Girl 
Scouts, dear child? ” 

“ A little, just a little. I dare say I shall get 
used to it, and when they start a troop here I can 
join that for the time being. Miss Lardner 
thinks I can help them a lot, for I have had train- 
ing. I have had a chance for using the knots 
ever so many times out here. I lengthened the 
clothes-line with the reef knot, and fastened it 
to a pole with the clove hitch this very day. In 
camp we used the sheep-shank all the time. 
Another thing, mother, I have been thinking that 
this is a glorious place for us to study the stars. 
You said you wanted to, and I never saw so 
many stars as were out last night.” 

“ You are finding plenty for us to do, aren’t 
you, dear?” 

‘‘ Oh, yes, I am, and the thing is that we can 
just drop everything at any time, take a few 
sandwiches and go off to the woods to get things 
for our wild garden and the flower boxes, or 
study the trees and birds, for there is no one but 


228 A GIEL SCOUT OP BED BOSE TBOOP 


ourselves to care when we go or when we get back. 
Don’t you love being wild and woodsy? ’’ 

“ I like it very much for the time being, but I 
shall be ready for the city when cold weather 
comes.” 

“ Oh, yes, of course, but that is a long way off. 
I have two new pets, mother; I discovered them 
to-day; two of the cunningest little turtles you 
ever saw. I found them in a little puddly place 
by the stream. I dammed it up so they couldn’t 
get away, and I am going to bring them up to 
the house as soon as I can find something to put 
them in. I thought a glass jar would do. Have 
we an empty one? I could fill the bottom with 
small stones and stuff, put water in and leave a 
dry place on top where they could sit and look 
out when they were tired of being down below.” 

Her mother laughed. Her idea of turtles was 
not that it would give them great joy to sit and 
look out, but she did not discourage Carol in her 
innocent interest in unresponsive turtles. “ Very 
well, honey,” she said, “ I have no doubt but we 
can find a jar. There is the one which had the 
canned peaches in it; that is empty.” 

“ Fine,” exclaimed Carol ; “ it will be just the 
thing,” and not being given to creating delays 
she went off at nnce to hunt up the jar. 


CHAPTER XV 


HELPING THE HELPERS 

I T was not many days before the doctor came 
a*gain, this time to take them with him to call 
upon his wife. Meanwhile Carol had housed her 
turtles in the glass jar, and showed them proudly 
to him. “ I think they are beginning to know me,*' 
she announced, “ for when I call them they come 
to the top stones and stretch out their necks.” 

“ Humph! ” grunted the doctor. “ I suppose 
you have names for them, too.” 

“ Oh, yes; I call them Reward and Fairy, after 
Kipling’s book, you know, but their pet names 
are Re-Re and Fay.” She cast a side glance at 
her friend. 

“ Humph! ” grunted the doctor again. “ Much 
I believe that. You have named one after me, 
you sinner, for I remember that you once told 
me my name should be R. E. Ward.” 

“ Well,” said Carol, her eyes full of laughter, 
“ I don’t see why they shouldn’t be named after 
two celebrated things, and I should think you 
would feel complimented by having a nice, neat 
little turtle named after you.” 

229 


230 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 


“ I wish you had let me have the naming of 
them.” 

“ Oh, do you? What would you have called 
them? ” 

“ Sauee-box and Minx,” returned he. 

Carol laughed. “ They would be real good 
names for kittens,” she replied, “ but it doesn’t 
seem to me that they would suit my turtles. 
They are very dignified, and not a bit saucy.” 

“ Unlike their owner. What do you call your 
toad? ” 

“ Mother named him Buncombe. He swells 
up so and looks so important as if he meant to 
swallow the earth, and then doesn’t do a thing 
but whisk out his queer little tongue and catch 
a gnat.” 

“ What about your green snake? Where is 
he? I hope I am not sitting on him.” 

“ Oh, no. He is around somewhere.” Carol 
looked nonchalantly around the room. “We 
call him Malachite, Mai for short; that means 
evil, too, and you know the Evil One took the 
form of a serpent. We were going to call him 
Lucifer, but we thought Malachite was better, 
for he is exactly the color of it, and we could 
suggest the other meaning, too.” 

“ I see. You have an interesting family here,” 


HELPING THE HELPEES 231 

said the doctor, as he rose to greet Mrs. Fenwick. 
“ I should like to show you Mrs. Ward’s cat. 
Will you come along with me to call on my 
wife? ” 

“ We shall be delighted to go. Can you wait 
for us a few minutes? ” 

“ Does that mean an hour, or literally a few 
minutes? ” 

Mrs. Fenwick smiled. “ As a woman of busi- 
ness I can promise you that it will be not more 
than fifteen minutes at the most.” 

“ Good ! I will employ myself in playing 
with the turtles and hunting for the snake.” 
Neither of which things he did, for when they 
were ready they came out to find him deep in 
one of the books he had found upon the table. 
“ Good stuff, that,” he said. “ Well, are you 
ready? For once a woman was less than the 
time she said.” He looked at his watch. “ You 
haven’t been but ten minutes. First time such a 
thing has occurred in all the course of my ex- 
perience.” 

“ My mother is always prompt,” Carol told 
him proudly. 

They were soon at the doctor’s square yellow 
house which stood on the main street in the center 
of the town. It had high steps and a small porch 


232 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

in front, but no garden; if there were any it was 
at the rear. They followed the doctor up a fine 
old stairway to a back room on the second floor. 
At the doctor’s knock the door was opened by a 
middle-aged woman, plainly dressed. The doc- 
tor spoke a few words and she opened the door 
wider to allow them all to enter. The room was 
prettily furnished. Cheerful draperies, dainty 
curtains, many pictures, flowers everywhere, 
made it an attractive spot for an invalid. The 
windows looked out upon an unusually beautiful 
garden. On a bed, drawn close to the window so 
the occupant could look out, lay a tiny little 
woman with childlike eyes, soft curling hair, and 
an expression of smiling innocence. At her feet 
on the bed lay a handsome Angora cat, and by 
her side, with head on pillow, was a large doll 
dressed like a baby. 

“ Minnie, dear,” said the doctor, going up to 
the bed, “ here are Mrs. Fenwick and her daugh- 
ter come to see you. You remember that I told 
you about them.” 

The little woman turned her head and put out 
her hand. “ I am glad to see you,” she said. 
“ You will excuse my rising. I am chained to 
the bed like Andromeda to the rocks. Would 
you like to hold the baby, little girl? Her name 


HELPING THE HELPEES 


233 


is Rosalie, and the cat is named Sultana. I don’t 
know what I should do without either one; they 
are so much company. Give them chairs, Hilary, 
and let the little girl take Rosalie.” 

Carol felt quite embarrassed and quite at a 
loss what to do when the doctor gravely placed 
the doll in her arms. She had given up her own 
dolls some time ago, though not so long but that 
she still could be interested in them. She ex- 
amined the dainty clothes, and finally not know- 
ing what else to say remarked: “ She is very 
pretty, and has such lovely clothes.” 

Mrs. Ward smiled, and the doctor looked 
pleased. “ I think she is beautiful,” said Mrs. 
Ward, “ and I made all her clothes myself, lying 
here on my back. It is so nice to have something 
to do.” 

“ You have a veiy lovely garden to look out 
upon,” said Mrs. Fenwick, thinking it was her 
turn to say something. 

“ Indeed I have.” Mrs. Ward turned her 
head. “ Hilary brings me flowers from it as long 
as they last, and in winter I have pots of them 
in the windows. The winters are very long,” 
she sighed. 

“ Do you like to read? ” inquired Mrs. Fen- 
wick. 


234 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

“ Yes, I like pretty stories if they are not too 
long and I don’t have to think too hard over 
them. Books are too heavy for me to hold long 
at a time, but Hilary gets me story papers, and 
sometimes he reads to me, but he hasn’t much 
time. He tells me about his patients and that is 
interesting. He told me about 3mur pets, too. 
You tell.” She turned to Carol with the manner 
of a little child. 

So Carol told of Reward and Fairy, of Mal- 
achite and Buncombe, while Mrs. Ward lis- 
tened with a pleased expression. “ I like to 
hear about them. I like animals, and I like 
flowers and pretty pictures. I like pretty 
things, but I can’t wear them. I used to, 
didn’t I, Hilary? You said I was so pretty in 
my nice things.” 

“ Don’t you get tired of lying still so long? ” 
asked Carol solicitously. 

“ Yes, I get tired, but I have Rosalie and 
Sultana to amuse me. I like being amused, but 
nobody tries very hard except Hilary. He does 
all sorts of funny things, don’t you, Hilary? 
He can be a lovely monkey, and a bear, and all 
sorts of things. He can be a soldier, too. I 
don’t like his being a soldier so much for it makes 
me sad. There is a war, isn’t there? ” 


HELPING THE HELPEBS 


235 


“ Yes,” Mrs. Fenwick told her, “ and I have a 
son who has gone to it.” 

“ Oh, have you? ” Mrs. Ward turned wide, 
half terror-stricken eyes upon her. 

“ He hasn’t really gone, dear,” the doctor 
made haste to say, “ and perhaps the war will be 
over before he has to go.” 

Mrs. Ward smiled again. “ Oh, yes, I think 
it will. I know Avhat your name is.” She 
turned to Carol again. “ It is Carol. Hilary 
told me and he said he didn’t know whether you 
were a Christmas carol or not. Wasn’t that 
funny? I had a tree at Christmas for Rosalie 
and Sultana. Hilary, I want them to have some 
cake and lemonade. Where is Susan? ” 

“ I will call her,” said the doctor soothingly. 
“ Don’t worry, dear; I will see to it.” He left 
the room for a moment. 

“ I want them to have some flowers, roses, 
Hilary,” began Mrs. Ward when he came back. 
“ You will give them some, won’t you? ” 

“ I certainly will,” he promised. 

“ And won’t you get Rosalie’s hat and coat 
out of the lower drawer? I want Carol to see 
how sweet she looks in them. Sultana is crowd- 
ing my feet, Hilary. I wish you would lift her 
off.” 


236 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

The doctor picked up the lordly cat and set 
her on the floor where she stretched herself and 
sat blinking, but after a moment went up to Mrs. 
Fenwick, surveyed her lap and deliberately 
jumped upon it. 

Mrs. Ward laughed merrily. “ Isn’t that 
dear of her? She doesn’t do that way with every 
one, but she knows you are friends. She is very 
wise, oh, very wise. She sits and looks at me 
when I talk to her as if she understood every 
word, doesn’t she, Hilary? ” 

“ She is certainly very wise,” he agreed with 
her. 

Here the maid appeared with a tray on which 
were glasses, a pitcher and a plate of cakes. 
Mrs. Ward watched with nervous eagerness till 
all were served. 

“ What shall I do with Rosalie? ” asked Carol. 

“ Put her right here by me.” Mrs. Ward 
smiled up at Carol as she laid the doll in her place. 

Very soon they took their leave. The frail 
little figure lying in the bed seemed even more 
pathetic since they had talked to her. “ I like 
you,” she said. “ Please come again. Won’t 
you kiss me good-bye? ” Each leaned over to 
kiss her and promised to come whenever they 
could. 


HELPING THE HELPERS 


237 


They went off laden with flowers cut from the 
garden, but no one said much till the little brown 
house was reached, then the doctor stopped long 
enough to say: “ I want to thank you for coming 
with me, for understanding. Every one doesn’t. 
She has been that way ever since her accident, 
like a little child. She has no delusions, but she 
takes an interest only in simple things, and per- 
sons think her demented.” He spoke fiercely. 
“ She is no more demented than I am; she has 
only slipped back a few years.” 

“ I think she is just lovely,” said Carol, going 
up close to him, and longing to let him know how 
full her heart was. “ May I go in and read to 
her sometimes? I think I could pick out things 
she would like, and I might help her make things 
for Rosalie. Are there any kinds of games she 
likes? If there are we could amuse ourselves 
with those and I might teach her some new ones.” 

The doctor winked very hard. “ Heaven 
bless you, child,” he said, drawing her close to 
him. “ I was sure you would understand her 
better than any one. I do my best to make her 
life supportable and she is my little girl, for 
whom I want to do everything, but I cannot fill 
the place you are able to fill.” 

“ Oh, doctor,” Carol expostulated. “ I don’t 


238 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

see how you could do more. Then I may come 
in sometimes to try to amuse her? ” 

“ It would be a godsend if you would.” Then 
he went off. 

“ Oh, mother, isn’t it pitiful? ” said Carol as 
they turned to go in. “ That great, hearty, burly 
man, and that poor little childish thing? How 
tender he is of her, as gentle as a mother. Isn’t 
it wonderful? ” 

“ It is very sad and very beautiful,” returned 
Mrs. Fenwick. “ I fancy few persons do under- 
stand. Most pity him, probably, and no doubt 
the general idea is that she is insane.” 

“ But she is not, is she? She talks quite 
sensibly about the things she is interested in. 
She looked like some little fairy creature lying 
there. She is so lovely and I felt as if she were 
under some enchantment. I want to go there 
often. I have been thinking up the things I 
can do to entertain her and really there are a 
good many. The doctor is such a true helper 
himself that we should do all we can to help him, 
I think.” 

‘‘ So do I, dear, and we must not fail him. 
She is very dependent upon him, but I think he 
is right in saying you will be able to gain a point 
of contact which an older person could not.” 


HELPING THE HELPEES 


239 


” I wonder what the accident was.” 

“ A railway accident, I believe. It is her spine 
that is affected, principally. The doctor has told 
me something about it.” 

“ Mother, don’t you think that if she can sew 
she might be able to knit for the soldiers? I 
wonder why she looked so horrified when we 
spoke of the war. Did you notice? ” 

“ Yes, I did, and I wondered, too. It may be 
that the doctor tries to spare her from the knowl- 
edge of unpleasant things if he can do it.” 

“ She knew there was a war, but that was about 
all she did appear to know. Do you suppose she 
doesn’t read the papers?” 

“ Probably not. No doubt the doctor thinks 
it is best that she should not be allowed to dwell 
on such unhappy subjects. She must be alone 
a good deal, and I suppose he thinks it would 
prey on her mind if she knew of all that is go- 
ing on.” 

“ Do you think that is just right? ” 

“ My dear, I don’t know. The doctor should 
be the best judge.” 

“ But maybe he isn’t. It seems to me it would 
be a tremendously interesting thing for her to 
be able to help the soldiers, and maybe the doctor 
is like some mothers who never want their chil- 


240 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

clren to get any hard knocks and they grow up 
softies.” 

“ Well, dear, I don’t think we can take it into 
our hands to alter the condition of things.” 

Carol, however, had her own ideas on the sub- 
ject and she determined to find out more about 
this when she should next see Mrs. Ward, which 
was in a few days when she carried in some of 
her favorite story books to read from. She also 
carried a curious flower which she had found in 
the woods, and her pair of turtles in a smaller jar. 

“ What in the world have you there? ” inquired 
the doctor, for he had come out to take her to his 
house. 

“ These are Reward and Fairy,” she told him. 
“ I am taking them in to see INIrs. Ward. I 
thought she might be interested to see them. 
She liked hearing about them, you know.” 

“ Well, you do beat the Dutch,” said the 
doctor, using his favorite expression. “ Of 
course she will like to see them. I suppose you 
will be taking — what’s his name? — the toad, I 
mean.” 

Buncombe. Yes, I thought I could take 
him some day. I could put him in a box with 
some grass and a piece of wire netting over it 
so he couldn’t jump out and frighten her. He 


HELPING THE HELPEES 241 

wouldn’t mind it in the least and she could see 
him perfectly through the netting.” 

“ Well, well, well! ” The doctor wagged his 
head. “ If all Girl Scouts are like you I must 
say they are ingenious.” 

“ Doctor,” Carol began the question just then 
nearest her heart, “ will you tell me why IMrs. 
Ward looked so frightened when we spoke of the 
war? ” 

“ Well, my dear, I try to keep all unpleasant 
things as far removed from her as possible. 
She knows there is a war, but that we are in it 
she doesn’t know, and if she did she couldn’t tell 
whether it was across the street or at our back 
door. What is the use of worrying her? My 
aim is to keep her as happy as possible.” 

“ But don’t you think she would be happier 
if she had more things to interest her? If we 
were to explain to her that the war is over in 
Europe and not here, that we are sending our 
men over because it is right to help, don’t you 
think it would be all right? One could do it 
without frightening her in the least, it seems 
to me.” 

The doctor was silent for a moment. ‘‘ I don’t 
know. I don’t know,” he said presently. 

She is like an enchanted princess, isn’t she? ” 


242 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

Carol went on, “just as beautiful, and just as 
much out of the world. I am simply crazy about 
her, but I would like her to have some more 
interesting things to think about. Would you 
object to my telling her a little bit about the 
war? If I see it scares her I will stop right 
away. I wouldn’t spring it on her all at once, 
you know; I’d do it very gradually. May I 
try? ” 

“ If you will promise to be very careful, and 
the moment you see she is becoming alarmed to 
change the subject.” 

“ I promise, indeed I do.” 

She kept her word. By talking about Europe 
she was able to speak of the war, and then of her 
brother who might some day be called over to 
help. “ Aren’t you glad, Mrs. Ward, that we 
have no war on this side the water, that our own 
country isn’t invaded? ” 

“ It isn’t here, is it? ” she said. “ I wanted to 
know, but I was afraid to ask for fear it was. 
Sometimes when I can’t sleep I lie awake think- 
ing of ugly things, and if I hear queer noises I 
think maybe it is the enemy coming, and then I 
call Hilary, but he doesn’t know what has fright- 
ened me.” 

“ You need never be frightened about that 


HELPING THE HELPEBS 


243 


again,” Carol told her, “ for the fighting is all in 
Europe, across the ocean, and all we have to do 
with it is to send our men over there. Every- 
body is knitting for the soldiers.” 

“ Yes, I know. Some one who came to see 
me told me so, but I thought it was for them here. 
This person told me there was a camp just out- 
side the town. Is there? ” 

“Yes, but it is for training the soldiers to go 
abroad, and not for any fighting here.” 

“ I am so glad. I didn’t loiow, you see. 
Hilary doesn’t like me to Imow about such things, 
and I don’t make things out as they really are. 
I can’t think very hard. I get all confused. 
You are sure I won’t have to be afraid at night 
any more? ” 

“ No, indeed. The war is far, far away from 
us. The men are so brave. I wish you could 
know how brave they are. We want to help 
make them as comfortable as we can and so we 
knit all sorts of things to keep them warm. Can 
you knit, Mrs. Ward? ” 

“ I used to, oh, so long ago. I don’t know 
whether I have forgotten.” 

“ I will bring my knitting things the next time 
I come and then you can see. Perhaps you could 
knit for the soldiers. Would you like to? I 


244 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

think it is so wonderful that we can help that way. 
Did the doctor tell you about Granny Ryan? ” 

“ Oh, yes, I know all about Granny.” 

“ And about her knitting socks for the sol- 
diers? She can do it lying down and is so 
pleased to be able to help in that way. Should 
you like to try? ” 

“ Oh, I should, I should. It would be so won- 
derful to do something useful. I couldn’t knit 
socks, I’m afraid.” 

“ But you could knit wristlets and trench caps 
and such things, I am sure you could. Every- 
thing we women do helps to win the war.” 

“ Oh, does it? Isn’t that wonderful? I want 
to try. I do want to.” 

Then having planted these new thoughts Carol 
picked up her book and began to read. 

Mrs. Ward did not forget, even after being 
interested in the story, for when the doctor came 
in the first thing she said was: “ Hilary, Hilary, 
I am going to try to knit for the soldiers. Carol 
is going to show me. I am so glad the war isn’t 
right here in this country, for I don’t want you 
to go.” 

The doctor shot a glance of comprehension at 
Carol as he answered his wife soothingly: “ Don’t 
worry, dear, I am not going. Well, I see you 


HELPING THE HELPERS 245 

did it,” he said, as he and Carol started off in the 
car. 

“ Yes, and I am very glad I tried, for she had 
all sorts of queer ideas which worried her much 
more than the real truth. She thought the war 
was being carried on right here in our own coun- 
try and that the enemy might swoop down on 
the town any night.” 

“Poor little girl! I suppose in trying to 
spare her I have been over-careful. It will be a 
great thing if she be made to believe she is help- 
ing. Even if she does only a very little it will 
be a tremendous interest for her.” 

“ Don’t you think we could talk to her a little 
bit about the war from time to time? We 
needn’t tell her any of the horrible things, only 
of brave deeds and what we are doing over here.” 

“ I think that would be quite in order. I will 
try it myself. You have been a great help, 
chnd.” 

“ So you have been a great help. Just think 
what you did for Peggy and what you are doing 
for Pat Juley, not to mention all you have done 
in getting the little brown house ready for us. 
I should feel pretty mean if I didn’t try to help 
a helper.” 

“ Same here,” cried the doctor. 


CHAPTER XVI 


A WEEK-END 


HE next week-end brought a bevy of girls 



-I to the camp, not as many as had come be- 
fore but quite enough to make the place lively. 
Margery and Helen were among them, but not 
Lizzie Snyder. Good fortune had befallen 
Lizzie quite unexpectedly. Her performance at 
the railroad bridge was not to go unrewarded. 
Miss Merritt happened to tell a friend of hers 
about it. He was deeply interested and said, 
“ I’d like a girl as smart as that in my office. Do 
you suppose I could get hold of her? There 
would be a chance for promotion, which might 
make it worth her while.” So Lizzie was hunted 
up, the case put before her, and the result was 
that she was established, young as she was, in a 
position which rendered her independent of the 
faultfinding aunt. 

Carol was watering the hanging baskets on the 
front porch when the girls came swarming upon 
her with: “ Hello, Caro! Here we are! ‘ Once 


246 


A WEEK-END 


247 


again to the breach, dear friends ! ’ How are 
you, and may we see your house? We can’t 
wait.” 

So in they all trooped, coming upon Mrs. Fen- 
wick taking a batch of Guess cake from the oven 
in the little kitchen. “ Isn’t it perfectly dear? ” 
cried one after another. “You are a perfect 
genius, Mrs. Fenwick. How in the world did 
you manage to convert this little old hut into 
anything so charming? ” Margery asked. 

As for Helen, she had no words at all until 
she had gone over the whole establishment, then 
she said: “ Well, it beats me. I never dreamed 
of seeing anything like this. Here I have been 
feeling so sorry for you all this time and I might 
have spared myself my pity.” 

Carol laughed. “ What did I tell you? I 
knew you would never believe it till you saw it, 
for you didn’t know I had the cleverest mother 
in the world. All of you sit down and have some 
Guess cake and raspberry shrub. We made 
them on purpose for you. I gathered the wild 
raspberries over there by the fence.” 

“ We can’t stay very long,” said the girls, “ for 
we have to get the tents up and things started at 
the camp. You will come over, won’t you, 
Carol?” 


248 A GIBL S(X)UT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

“ I should say/’ replied Carol, getting busy 
with her tray and glasses. 

“ Have you been very lonely? ” asked 
Helen, “ and what do you do with yourself all 
day? ” 

“ I was a little lonely at first,” Carol acknowl- 
edged, “ but, oh, me, I have been so busy, have 
found so many things to do. I’ll tell you about 
some of them after a while. What are you girls 
going to do while you are up this time? ” 

“We want you to tell us what we can do. 
You Imow the ropes by now.” 

“ Well,” said Carol, pausing to refill her plate 
of cake, “ I was wishing yesterday that you girls 
were here to help the Boy Scouts sell their tickets 
for the show they are going to give. They don’t 
seem to know how to go about it and don’t feel 
very much encouraged. I was thinking if a 
couple of us were to meet each train as it comes 
in and waylay the people as they get off we 
might sell quite a number of tickets. You know 
a good many passengers stop here and take the 
stage over to the country club, then others stop 
in automobiles for various things. The boys 
don’t appear to know how to do anything more 
than to put up a few signs and to try to sell 
tickets to those they know. Their troop hasn’t 


A WEEK-END 


249 


been formed very long, and they haven’t got the 
hang of things yet.” 

“ Of course we could do that,” agreed Margery. 
“ When is the show to be? ” 

“ Saturday night.” 

“ And to-morrow is Saturday. We can put 
in the time mighty well, I am sure. Who has a 
time-table? We must look up trains and ap- 
point the different committees of two to meet the 
trains. Let’s see, how many of us are there? 
Eight — nine, and you make ten, Carol. I don’t 
believe there are more than half a dozen trains 
that stop, are there? ” 

“ About that many, I think,” Carol answered. 

“ Then,” Margery went on, “ each committee 
could take the rest of the hour to waylay the 
automobiles, and in that way would really be 
giving a very little time and yet together we 
should be working five hours. We could even 
give an hour and a half and yet not be doing such 
a tremendous lot. What do you all say? ” 

“ Fine scheme, Margery,” cried the rest. 

“What about the soldiers’ camp? Have the 
boys sold tickets there? ” asked Helen. 

“ Don’t believe they have stepped a foot out- 
side the town. We must put them on to that. 
There’s another thing I wish we could do, and 


260 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

that is to ask Mrs. Keith to bring out some of the 
girls to visit our camp. I saw her on the street 
the other day, and she is very eager to start a 
troop of Girl Scouts here. She asked me if I 
would help, and I told her I certainly would, 
that we wanted all the Girl Scouts we could 
possibly get, the country needed them, and it 
was up to every troop to rake in all it could. 
There is a Miss Dawson who is ready to be cap- 
tain as soon as she gets a little more training. 
She is coming to talk it over with Miss Lard- 
ner.” 

“ You could help her a lot, Carol.” 

“ I could and I will. Any one have some more 
shrub? ” 

“ Oh, not this time. It surely is good, Carol. 
We must be getting on. Will you come 
along? ” 

‘‘ Shall you need me, mother? ” Carol turned 
to Mrs. Fenwick, who was gathering together 
the soiled glasses. 

“ Run along, dear,” she urged. “ There is 
really very little to do.” 

So off Carol went, happy to talk about the 
hundred things which were interesting them all. 
She listened absorbedly to the tale of Lizzie’s 
good luck. She told of her experience with Mrs. 


A WEEK-END 


251 


Ward, of her visits to Granny Ryan, all of which 
talk occupied more time than was employed in 
walking the half mile to the camp ground. 

They found Miss Lardner and Miss Merritt 
already in possession, and a man helping them 
to put up the tents, of which but few were needed 
for the party of eleven. The oven which they 
had erected during their first visit was discovered 
to be in good working order, and the glass jar of 
matches which had been stowed away in the 
hollow trunk of a tree was disclosed in perfect 
condition. 

Carol stayed only long enough to help the 
girls get settled, not a difficult task this time, as 
they knew the ropes so well, and needed no Scout 
sign to tell them where to find good water, nor 
where to get wood, for they had piled up a store 
for this very occasion. 

The girls in camp heard their comrade singing 
joyously as she went on her way to the little 
brown house, but they did not suspect the sur- 
prise which awaited her. She went in to see her 
mother bustling busily around, an unwonted 
color on her cheeks and a brighter light in her 
eyes. She was whisking up some eggs for an 
omelet when Carol entered. 

“ Why, mother,” cried the girl, standing still 


252 A GIBL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

ill astonishment, “ what are you doing? I 
thought we were to have only bread and milk. 
Why this unusual use of eggs? 

“ I thought you would need a heartier sujiper 
after your work with the girls at camp,” said 
Mrs. Fenwick rather lamely. “ Suppose you 
run out in the garden and see if you can find two 
or three tomatoes to slice.” 

Carol went obediently, still wondering a little, 
and wondering still more as she approached and 
noticed a very savory odor issuing from the little 
summer kitchen. 

“ Mother, what in the world are you cooking? ” 
she asked as she laid the tomatoes on the table. 
“ I found three, but they aren’t very large.” 
Then she turned and there in the doorway, smil- 
ing at her, stood Dick. In a moment she was 
in his arms, crying out, “ Now I know! Now I 
know why we are to have eggs.” 

Dick gave her a great bear-like hug, fairly lift- 
ing her off her feet, then he held her off at arm’s 
length to look at her. “ The country sure does 
agree with you,” he declared, “ and as for mother, 
she looks ten years younger. Great place you 
have here.” 

“ Isn’t it great? ” answered Carol, flying at 
him to give him another hug. “ Do tell me how 


A WEEK-END 


263 


you happened to come? Did mother know, or 
did you surprise her, too? ” 

“ She didn’t know, and I knocked her all of a 
heap, but she recovered fast enough. I came 
because I could have three days’ leave and how 
better employ it than by visiting my family in 
their country residence? It certainly is a Jim 
dandy of a place when you sort of look it over, 
but it isn’t so much to look at from the outside. 
I wish I had a couple of weeks here with you, 
I’d make a swell looking place of it.” 

“ We don’t want a swell looking place of it,” 
said his mother smiling. “We want it just as it 
is, merely a lodge, an unpretentious little nook 
in which to spend the summer.” 

“ Does a fellow go out and toy with the old 
oaken bucket that hangs in the well, or does one 
go to yon stream when he wants water? ” asked 
Dick, looking around. 

“ The pump is right here,” his mother indi- 
cated it; “ not the spigot, dear; that is rain water 
from our barrel on that side.” 

“ Oh, I see.” Dick began pumping vigor- 
ously. “ I don’t see but that you have all the 
modern conveniences. I have brought you a 
present, Caro,” he announced. 

“ Oh, Dick, what is it? ” she cried. 


254 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

“ Never mind. Wait till after supper and I 
will show it to you. My, but this is a feast.” 
He surveyed the table on which his mother was 
placing the savory bacon omelet. Carol was 
taking biscuits from the oven and there were set 
forth already the sliced tomatoes, a dish of cot- 
tage cheese, another of wild raspberries, and a 
plate of the Guess cake. “ I haven’t seen such 
a feed as this since I left home. You certainly 
do live well.” 

“ Oh, don’t think this is an every-day supper,” 
Carol was quick to speak up. “ This is all in 
your honor. It is a rare thing for us to have any 
eggy thing, and hot biscuits are a fine treat. We 
are conserving wheat, you know, and we have 
corn bread very often.” 

“ For that reason,” his mother said, “ we can 
afford to have the hot biscuits on high days and 
holidays. The cottage cheese is made from some 
sour milk I happened to have. The berries Carol 
gathered over on the edge of the woods.' The 
cake is true war cake, so you see we are not ex- 
travagant, plentiful as our meal may appear.” 

“ Plentiful or not it is mighty good,” returned 
Dick, helping himself to a second biscuit, having 
already disposed of one. “ How are the Girl 
Scouts getting on, Caro? ” 


A WEEK-END 


265 


“ Finely. You know I am not a Tenderfoot 
any more; I belong to the second class, and I am 
patrol leader. Helen takes my place while I 
am away.” 

“ Good work. How are the stunts? ” 

“ Humping along. We can march much 
better, and do a lot more things. I wish you 
could come over to our camp. Don’t you be- 
lieve Miss Lardner would let him, mother? I 
want him to hear the song Margery and I made, 
and the Three Girl Scout one.” 

“ I don’t see why she shouldn’t let him come 
for a little while,” her mother answered. 

‘‘ I am perfectly harmless,” Dick declared. 
“ I wouldn’t so much as harm a grasshopper.” 

“ We might all walk over after supper,” Mrs. 
Fenwick suggested, “ and perhaps Miss Lardner 
and the girls would like to hear something about 
Dick’s camp life.” 

“ Oh, now don’t put me through any such 
tricks,” objected Dick. “ I don’t want to be 
made a hero of and all that. If we go let it be 
talk as man to man, rather as soldier to soldier, 
for that is what we are, aren’t we, sis? ” 

“ But first,” said Carol, running out to take 
the second pan of biscuits from the stove, Dick 
having made way with the greater part of the 


256 A GIEL SCOUT OP BED EOSE TEOOP 


first batch, “ but first I want to see what you have 
brought me. Mother, I wonder what that funny 
noise is. I never heard it before.” 

“ I think it is the present,” observed Dick. 

“ Are you trying to be funny, or is it really 
something alive? It couldn’t be Reward and 
Fairy for they don’t make any noise, neither does 
Malachite. I have heard Buncombe make a 
queer little sound, but not like that.” 

Dick stared. “ What is all that crazy talk 
about malachite and buncombe? It is the woosi- 
est thing I ever heard.” 

Carol laughed. “ Oh, I haven’t shown you my 
pets. I think they are just fine, for they are so 
silent and aren’t a bit of trouble. One of them. 
Buncombe, lives out-of-doors, and the others are 
there, too, most of the time. As soon as you 
think it is impossible for you to absorb another 
biscuit into your being I will show them to you.” 

Dick’s powers of taking in food at last waned 
and Carol took him out to show him her pets, 
which he highly approved of. “ I like a girl who 
gets interested in that kind of thing,” he declared, 
“ instead of some little wheezing poodle or an 
inane canary.” 

OH, but poodles are just IHe smartest things. 
You can teach them almost anything,” Carol 


A WEEK-END 


257 


protested, ‘‘ and as for canaries I just love them* 
but I do think these are more unusual, and are 
not near the care. Now show me what you have 
brought me.” 

“ Wait here,” said Dick. He then went into 
the house and brought out a small slatted box and 
set it down before his sister. 

Carol peeped in. “ Pigeons! ” she cried. 

“ Yes, but what kind? They are not the 
common sort.” 

“ What kind are they? Tumblers? Fan- 
tails? ” 

“ Neither. They are young homing pigeons. 
I thought you might like to rear some, for the 
government needs them. It has asked that we 
breed them to send abroad for use there.” 

“ Oh, Dick, what a perfectly lovely thing to 
do! I shall just love it. It was perfectly dear 
for you to think of it. Where did you get 
them? ” 

“ A young fellow I know is breeding them and 
I got this pair of yoimg ones from him.” 

“ Did he tell you anything of how one must 
care for them? ” 

“ Yes, he gave me full instructions which I 
have written out and will hand over to you.” 

** You must help me think of names for them,” 


258 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

said Carol, rising from an adoring attitude to go 
into the kitchen to help her mother. “Is it all 
right to leave them so? ” 

“ Quite all right for the present. To-morrow 
I will help you build a house for them.” 

“ This is the fullest world for Girl Scouts I 
ever knew,” exclaimed Carol enthusiastically. 
“ Every day some lovely new thing crops up for 
us to do. I like doing things for just every-day 
people, but when it is some really useful, patriotic 
thing I am simply daffy about it. Mother, do 
let us hurry up with these supper things so we 
can get over to camp and I can tell the girls. I 
know they have never heard about the need of 
pigeons. Oh, I can’t wait to get over there and 
I can’t wait till to-morrow to have the pigeon 
house built.” 

“ I can’t see,” remarked Dick, “ that Carol is 
becoming blase.” 

It was still light when they reached the camp 
bounds, but the girls were gathering fagots to 
start a fire. Miss Lardner came forward ready to 
welcome Dick and his family, but some of the girls 
were rather shy of having a soldier in their midst. 

In spite of Dick’s distaste to being made a hero 
of, he could not withstand answering questions 
and was launched into a description of his camp 


A WEEK-END 


259 


experiences before he was aware of it. He 
joined in the songs, added some of those he had 
learned at his own camp, pronounced the new one 
which the girls had made “ A peach of a song,” 
and tried to sing the round “ Three Girl Scouts,” 
but became so hopelessly mixed up that no one 
could keep on for laughing. 

Carol’s announcement that she had a pair of 
pigeons aroused the greatest interest. “ I think 
that is perfectly great!” cried Margery. “I 
mean to get some. Isn’t it wonderful that we 
girls can do that for the government? If they 
need them I think that every girl that can should 
raise some to send. It will be such fun training 
them.” 

“ It won’t be all fun,” said Miss Lardner 
quietly. “ There will be responsibility connected 
with it, and no girl should go into it unless she 
means to be faithful. I have read something 
about training these birds, and I know.” 

“ Where can we get them and how shall we 
learn to train them? ” spoke up Helen. 

“ I think they can tell you all about it at 
National Headquarters,” Miss Lardner told her, 
“ and in the meantime we can learn something 
from Carol’s experiences. She tells us that she 
has some written instructions.” 


260 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 


“ You’ll let US see them, won’t you, Carol? 
clamored the girls, “ and oh, we do want you to 
show us the pigeons,” 

“ Indeed you shall see them,” Carol promised. 
“ Don’t forget that the work for the Boy 
Scouts is on for to-morrow. As you are coming 
or going you might stop in to see the pigeons. 
Dick is going to make the loft for them to- 
morrow.” 

“ Then I speak to be one of the last couple to 
work for the boys,” said Margery gaily, “ for 
then I shall have a chance to see the loft as well 
as the pigeons.” 

“ Your hour has been scheduled already, miss,” 
said Helen, “ so you will have to go accordingly.” 

“ Oh, well, never mind,” said Margery. “ If 
I go early in the day there is nothing to prevent 
my taking that little walk to Carol’s later on.” 

Then suddenly Miss Lardner blew her whistle. 
“ I know what that means,” said Carol; “time 
to turn in. We must go.” 

The fire had died down, but not a single glow- 
ing ember must be left, so Dick helped them to 
put out the last spark, and then with his mother 
and sister walked home under the stars. The 
girls heard tHe three singing as they went. 


CHAPTER XVII 


FLIERS AND WHERE THEY FLEW 

** T F I had known Dick would be here and that 

A I should have these two dear pigeons, I don’t 
believe I would have had strength of mind to 
help the Boy Scouts to-day,” sighed Carol to her 
mother as they were getting breakfast. 

“ But, dear child, it is not going to take all 
your day, and you were very enthusiastic about 
it yesterday.” 

“ I know, but that was before Dick and the 
pigeons came. I know perfectly well that I 
shall not sell a ticket, because I don’t want to.” 

“ Why, my dear, what a way to talk! ” 

“ It is perfectly true. I just want to gallop 
through the task and get back home as quickly as 
I can, and I might as well say it as think it.” 

“ What’s that, what’s that I hear? ” said Dick, 
coming in. 

“ I just don’t want to go to town and sell 
tickets to-day, and that is the whole of it,” con- 
fessed Carol. “ The idea of my losing any of 
the precious moments that you are to be here 
just makes me too disgusted for anything.” 

261 


262 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 


“ You promised to do it, didn’t you? ” asked 
Dick. “And a Girl Scout keeps her prom- 
ises? ” 

“ Oh, dear, yes. Of course I shall do it, but 
I am not cheerful about it.” 

“ I’m not particularly cheerful when I am do- 
ing picket duty in the rain, nor when I am tired 
to death to be called out of a sound sleep to do it, 
but that is part of the discipline. One has to 
obey orders, and if he can make himself do it 
willingly and cheerfully he is that much the better 
soldier. So, old girl, go to it with as good grace 
as you can, if you want to be a soldier.” 

“ Of course I’m going to do it,” said Carol, a 
little petulantly. “ I have to whether I want to 
or not, but I suppose there is no harm in saying 
that I don’t want to.” 

“No, except that if every girl felt that way 
and no tickets were sold it wouldn’t augur very 
well for the Boy Scouts’ entertainment.” 

“ But most of the girls want to do it, so that 
is no argument. I haven’t a doubt but that the 
hall will be filled, as it is.” 

“ You were very much afraid it wouldn’t be 
yesterday,” said her mother. “ 'WTiat time do 
you and — Helen, is it? — start on your errand?” 

“ Oh, a mean time. We have to meet the 


FLIEES AND WHEEE THEY FLEW 263 

twelve-thirty train, so I can’t be here to help you 
get dinner, and I shall not get back till ever so 
late. It is all horrid. We were going to take 
some lunch with us, for we knew we should never 
be able to get back in time for dinner, and I 
would so much rather have it with you and 
Dick.” 

“ Of course you would. It is rather hard that 
it should have happened so on this particular 
occasion, but never mind, you will have to make 
the best of it. Dick can help me and we shall get 
along very well. We can take merely a lunch 
and have a heartier supper.” 

This relieved the pressure somewhat, but still 
Carol felt very rebellious and wished she had not 
been so zealous in her efforts to help the Boy 
Scouts, or at least wished that she had not been 
so ready to accept the most unfavorable hour of 
the day. 

However, before the time came she felt rather 
ashamed of herself, for two of the girls from 
Camp Bena appeared to say that Miss Lardner 
had realized that Carol might wish to help her 
mother at midday and that two of the troop had 
offered to exchange hours with her if she wished. 

She accepted the exchange eagerly, thanked 
the girls for coming and asked if they wanted to 


264 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

see her pigeons, which of course they did. The 
pigeons were still quite young, but in a short tune 
could be taken a little distance to be allowed to 
find their way home. 

“ What dear, pretty things they are,” said 
Louise Foster. “ Can they fly very far, Carol? ” 

“ Dick said they fly a hundred or a hundred 
and fifty miles, and some as much as three hun- 
dred.” 

“ Have you named them yet? ” 

“No, for I want names that will be exactly 
right, and so I shall not hurry. They will get to 
be very tame, Dick says, and that is why it is a 
good thing for us girls to rear them. They will 
like being loved and petted and will be that much 
more ready to fly back home when they are taken 
away.” 

“ I don’t see how you manage that part of it 
at all,” said Flora Shaw. 

“ Why, the first time you take them only a 
short distance and they easily find their way back, 
then every time you release them it is a little 
farther away. I shall take these to camp the 
first time. It will take them about two weeks to 
get used to this home, and in two weeks Miss 
Lardner thinks some of you will be coming up 
again, so I can make a trial trip. I can send a 


FLIEBS AND WHERE THEY FLEW 265 


message to camp and Helen can send one back. 
Then after that I can try sending them from 
town/’ 

“ I think that will be fine,” said the girls, much 
interested. “We must really not stay any 
longer for we promised to come back with the 
message.” 

“ And not being carrier pigeons you are not 
able, to fly,” said Carol, her good humor quite 
restored. “ Please tell Miss Lardner that she 
was lovely to think of changing my time, and 
that the afternoon will suit me very much better.” 

The girls went off and Carol returned to the 
house, her face wreathed in smiles. “ I don’t 
have to go till four o’clock this afternoon,” she 
announced. “Isn’t that fine?” 

“ That was a time when virtue was not its own 
reward,” remarked Dick. 

Carol made a face at him, and went off to her 
mother, but she felt rather ashamed of her atti- 
tude of earlier in the day, and remembered her 
mother’s oft repeated charge not to cross her 
bridges till she came to them. “ I did cross that 
bridge too soon, or I tried to,” she told herself. 
“ I was pretty horrid about it, too, but oh, dear, 
it is mighty hard to keep yourself always keyed 
up to being cheerful when there is something un- 


266 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 


pleasant to do. I suppose it is better to keep 
your crossness inside and appear to be cheerful 
when you are not. I must try to do that, and, 
if I have any growling to do, go outside and growl 
to Buncombe; it won’t affect him in the least; 
that is one advantage in having a toad for a pet 
instead of a dog. A dog would know if you were 
growling at him; a toad doesn’t, so you can let 
yourself go.” 

The naming of the pair of pigeons was quite 
a serious question, Carol considered. Dick and 
her mother suggested all sorts of names, martial, 
sentimental, humorous, but Carol would none 
of them. At last when her mother suggested 
Iris for the female she accepted it with joy. 
“ Iris was Juno’s messenger,” her mother told 
her, “ and it seems to me that a bird with a rain- 
bow-hued neck and who is a messenger, too, 
couldn’t have a more appropriate name.” 

“ That is just what I think,” Carol concurred 
with this opinion, and so did Dick, only he 
thought it was a little too sweet for a bird whose 
children were to be in the service. Carol argued 
him down, however, by saying the children of 
Mrs. Iris might have as military names as he 
pleased, and he should have the naming of the 
first pair. The male bird they were longer in 


FLIEES AND WHEEE THEY FLEW 267 


finding a name for, but finally hit upon Ariel, 
the fairy messenger. 

“ Wouldn’t a girl give them caramel names like 
that,” said Dick. “ I don’t see why you couldn’t 
have hit upon something a little less sweet.” 

“ What would you call them? ” asked his 
mother. 

“ Oh, I don’t know; Cable and Telephone, or 
Bullet and Bomb; something that goes fast.” 

“ Very well,” agreed Carol. “ The very first 
pair that are hatched shall be called Bullet and 
Bomb, and they shall be sent to France to do 
their bit with the rest of the bullets and bombs, 
and the next pair shall be called Johnny Bull and 
Italia.” 

“ That is counting your pigeons before they 
are hatched, in fact,” laughed Dick. “ Now to 
work to make them a house to live in. I feel 
less inclined to do it since you have given them 
those airy names.” 

“ Oh, Dick, if you really feel that way I won’t 
give them airy names. I know what I will 
call them: Columbia and Uncle Sam. How’s 
that? ” 

“Bully. That is best of all; just stick to 
it, sis, and drop those gooey names till peace 
times.” 


268 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 


So, after all, those were the names finally fixed 
upon, and Carol was the more satisfied when her 
mother told her that the Italian word for dove 
was Colombo, and that she could call the male 
Sammy for short, so he would be adopting the 
name sometimes given to our soldier boys in 
France. 

The Boy Scouts’ entertainment was given to 
a full house, and they appreciated the part the 
Girl Scouts had taken in making the affair a suc- 
cess, for they came out the next night and sere- 
naded the girls at Camp Bena, a delicate compli- 
ment which they only half valued, thinking it 
somewhat silly and a thing rather to be laughed 
over than enjoyed. The boys did not know that, 
however, and felt that they had done a very 
graceful thing. 

Dick had Columbia and Sammy safely lodged 
before he left, and Carol began to be so assiduous 
in her attentions to the pair that she came near 
to neglecting everything and everybody else. 
The birds were soon so tame that they would eat 
from her hand, and were beginning to view her 
shoulder as a proper perch. The turtles, I regret 
to say, suffered in consequence of this devotion 
to newer pets, and one morning when Carol sud- 
denly remembered that she had neglected them 


FLIERS AND WHERE THEY FLEW 269 

for several days she went to the jar to find them 
both dead. She felt terribly conscience stricken 
and wept some tears as she went to tell her 
mother of the tragedy. 

“ I haven’t been faithful,” she said. “ I let 
my poor little turtles die. Oh, mother, that was 
so very wicked. I never thought I could be as 
wicked as that.” 

“ I am afraid, dear child, that you have been 
so absorbed in your pigeons that you cared noth- 
ing more for any of your other pets.” 

“ That is just it. If I had only put them back 
in the place I found them first it would have been 
all right. I had no right to take them from their 
home and tame them and then stop paying them 
any attention, neglecting them so that they died.” 
She wept afresh, as much because of her own 
fault as because of the loss of the turtles. ‘‘ Did 
you ever believe it was in me to be so wicked, 
mother? It wouldn’t have been so bad if I were 
younger.” 

‘‘ I don’t know that I should be so severe as to 
call it absolutely wicked, although the result is 
just the same as if you had deliberately killed 
them. It was carelessness, forgetfulness, of 
course, and I am very sorry it happened.” 

Carol sat mournfully gazing at the defunct 


270 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 

turtles, and then went out with the jar. She 
never spoke of these pets again, and looked 
distressed when any one so much as men- 
tioned turtles. The toad could tend to him- 
self and the little green snake slipped off in the 
grass one day and was not seen again, so the 
pigeons were Carol’s sole interest in the way of 
pets. 

The first attempt in sending a message by the 
birds was made when Camp Bena was again 
occupied by the Girl Scouts; this was about two 
weeks after the arrival of the carrier pigeons. 
Carol carried the pair in a dark basket and gave 
them into Helen’s care. “ Don’t let them out,” 
she charged, “ until I get home and then send a 
message. You can write it on thin paper and 
fasten it to Sammy’s leg.” 

“ Can’t Columbia take one from me? ” asked 
Margery. “ It would be such joy really to send 
one that way.” 

Carol consented and bade her pets good-bye 
with some misgivings. Suppose they should take 
it into their heads to go back to their first home 
rather than to the little brown house. Dick had 
assured her that they would return to her safely 
after two weeks under her care. She gave voice 
to her fears as soon as she reached her mother. 


FLIERS AND WHERE THEY FLEW 271 

“ I am so anxious,” she said. “ Oh, mother, 
wouldn’t it be dreadful if they were never to 
come back? ” 

“ But, my dear, I am sure they will. They 
would not want to fly, this first time, to their old 
home which is so far away. I doubt if they 
would go anyhow, for they were so young when 
Dick brought them. Don’t get all worked up 
over them. Wait and give them a chance.” 

This Carol resolved to do, but she could not be 
satisfied to stay indoors, but sat on the porch, 
straining her eyes for the first glimpse of what 
might be her birds. “ How long do you think it 
should take them? ” she asked. 

“ They fly very rapidly,” her mother told her, 
“ and as it is only half a mile to the camp they 
would cover that space in a few minutes.” 

“ Then they surely should be here.” Carol 
was getting very impatient. 

“You must allow time for the girls to pre- 
pare their messages and to attach them to the 
little messengers.” 

“ Oh, yes, but it does seem to me that they are 
taking an incredible time.” 

“ How long do you think it has been since you 
went out there to sit? ” 

“ It seems hours.” 


272 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 


“ It has been just ten minutes.” 

Carol subsided at this, but continued to watch 
anxiously. Presently she cried out: “ Here they 
come. I am sure it is they, the dears. They do 
fly mighty fast, mother. They will be here in a 
minute.” Sure enough they were. They came 
circling down as soon as they saw Carol, and 
strutted up to her, quite sure of a welcome. She 
picked them up, stopping to kiss the top of each 
pretty head, and carried them in to relieve them 
of their mail. “ Aren’t they darlings? ” she said 
as she unfastened the thread which secured the 
little notes. “ This is what Helen says: ‘ All hail 
to you, mistress of the pigeon loft. We wish to 
celebrate this great occasion by a feast. Can you 
and your mother come and join us in it? The 
hour will be six p. M. With love, Helen.’ ” 
She allowed Sammy his freedom, which he took 
advantage of by walking out the hack door and 
giving his guttural call to his little wife. She, 
too, was soon released and followed her lord and 
master to the home loft. 

Carol opened Margery’s note and read: “ I 
send this by special messenger, no less person 
than her royal highness, the lady Columbia. Do 
not fail us this evening. There is a matter of 
great importance to discuss. Margery.” 


FLIEES AND WHEEE THEY FLEW 273 

What do you suppose is the important 
matter, mother? ” Carol’s curiosity was aroused. 

“ I cannot imagine, my dear, but I think it is 
quite probable that I can exist until six o’clock 
before finding out.” 

“ Now, mother, you are making fun of me. 
Do you know what I have been thinking? That 
I might establish a pigeon post between here and 
the doctor’s. Think what it would mean to Mrs. 
Ward to look for messages, and to send them 
back.” 

“ You can talk to the doctor about it and see 
how it would work out. That will be best.” 

“ You know the way they do, Dick told me, 
when they use them in the army, is to have a 
traveling loft, and when they see it they go right 
to it. An aviator takes them up with him and 
when he discovers anything over the enemy’s 
lines that he wants to send word about, he ties a 
little note or maybe a map to the pigeon’s leg 
and back it goes to its loft, then they can go there 
and get it. Isn’t it fine, and won’t it be wonder- 
ful if I could send some to help that way? ” 

“ It is fine to be able to do anything for your 
country, even at a great sacrifice,” responded 
Mrs. Fenwick, her thoughts traveling to the boy 
she was sending to do his part. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


ADOPTING AN ORPHAN 

ELL, what is it? What is the great 



▼ ▼ question under discussion? ” asked Carol 
as soon as she had come upon Helen. 

“ Oh, you must wait till we all get together,” 
Helen replied. “ Tell me, did you get our mes- 
sages? Did Sammy and Columbia get home all 
right? ” 

“ They certainly did, and in consequence we 
are accepting the kind invitation to supper. 
Isn’t it fun to send messages that way? ” 

“ It surely is. That is one of the subjects we 
are going to discuss — whether the girls should 
take to rearing pigeons individually or whether 
the troop as a whole shall do it. But let that go 
for the present. Supper is about ready, I fancy.” 

Mrs. Fenwick had been taken in tow by Miss 
Lardner, and was already watching the girls 
dextrously frying pancakes, and running about 
getting everything ready to serve. 

“ Um-um,” cried Carol as she came up. 
“ Don’t those look good? Who is cook this 
evening? ” 


274 


ADOPTING AN ORPHAN 


275 


“ Maggie Sweeny, and you know what a dab- 
ster she is at pancakes.” 

“ And with maple syrup it surely is a feast.” 

The little company ranged itself around the 
rustic table and supper began. Maggie, with 
two long-handled frying pans, deftly turned the 
pancakes, though, skilled as she was, the supply 
could scarcely meet the demand fast enough, but 
at last all were satisfied and Maggie had her 
turn. The big kettle of water was boiling mer- 
rily by this time so that they made short work of 
the dishes, stirred up the fire, piled on more wood 
and settled down for the business of the evening. 

“ The first thing we want to talk about,” began 
Miss Lardner, “ is the raising of homing pigeons. 
We all know what Carol is doing and what a 
very interesting thing she finds it, so there is no 
doubt but it would be a desirable thing to under- 
take, but here is the question: Would it be better 
to allow such girls who have the conveniences 
for such an enterprise do what they can as 
individuals, or shall we take hold of it as a 
troop? ” 

“As a troop, a troop!” cried several of the 
girls, while a number began to beg, “ Oh, Miss 
Lardner, we do want our very own.” 

“ Wait a moment. Most of you live in apart^ 


276 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 


ment houses. How many of you have the 
facilities for rearing pigeons? One, two, three 
in our troop, and some doubtful. Of course this 
is something that concerns the Goldenrod girls, 
too, but they will discuss it with their captain. 
This is a Red Rose affair we are talking about 
now. My own opinion is that we must take it 
up as a group and not individually, for there are 
too few girls who would have proper accommo- 
dations. Of course I realize that the birds be- 
come tamer under individual care, but I do not 
think it is going to be feasible. Each one can do 
her share, but it must be a partnership business. 
I know a place that I think would be suitable for 
a loft, but I shall have to find out about it before 
we do anything positive.’’ 

Carol sat very silent while this talk was going 
on. “ Shall I have to give up my birds? ” she 
asked, after a while, in a very small voice. 

“ Why, my dear, of course not. Certainly not 
while you are here in the country. What you 
can do when you get back to town you will have 
to decide then. I don’t want to discourage any 
girl from a private undertaking but I thought 
if it were to be troop work it would better be 
done in partnership. I believe the Goldenrod 
girls, most of them, can very well undertake to 


ABOPTIKG AN OBPHAN 277 

do the thing individually, but I don’t see that 
we can.” 

This settled the question of the homing pigeons 
for the moment, then Miss Merritt said she 
wanted to interest both troops in what she 
thought to be a very appealing charity. Didn’t 
they want to adopt a war orphan? “ I think,” 
she said, “ that if the two troops were to combine 
in the expense it would not fall heavily on any 
one. There are a number of little French and 
Belgian orphans who must be supported. I do 
not mean that we should bring one here, but to 
assume the maintenance of one, be its foster 
mothers, send it clothing from time to time and 
keep in correspondence with those in charge of 
it, so that they would know there were girls in 
this country who would be responsible for its 
support. No girl need give any stated sum, but 
just what she can afford. Perhaps she could 
earn a little sum to devote to this cause, or 
could make some sacrifice which would enable 
her to help out. What do you say, girls? Shall 
we do it? ” 

There were all sorts of responses. ‘‘Yes, in- 
deed. I should say so. Perfectly dandy idea. 
Don’t let it be too old a child; we’d love to have 
a baby, for baby clothes are so cunning,” and 


278 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

so on till it became an accepted fact that Red 
Rose Troop and Gnldenrod Troop were to adopt 
a baby. 

“ If we keep on,” Helen confided to Carol as 
they walked off together, “ I shall not have a rag 
to my back or a taste of candy all winter.” 

Carol laughed. “ Same here, but maybe it 
won’t seem so much when we get started. We 
are to give only what we can afford, and it may 
sharpen our wits so we can find ways of earning 
something.” 

“ I don’t mean that I don’t approve of it,” 
Helen made haste to say, “ but I don’t see how 
we can raise pigeons and support babies and all 
that without money.” 

“ Oh, we can do it somehow,” returned Carol 
optimistically. “ Remember how well we did 
with the supper entertainment. We can do 
things like that. I am not worrying over that, 
but I have a secret sorrow, for, Helen, what am I 
to do with my precious Columbia and Sammy 
when we leave the little brown house? I am so 
afraid that I cannot have them in the apartment. 
I never thought about it until Miss Lardner 
spoke this evening. I think it would break my 
heart to give them up.” 

“ Well, I wouldn’t worry about it yet. There 


ADOPTING AN OEPHAN 


279 


is quite a long time yet for you to be here, and 
who knows what may happen before then? ” 

“ I hope it won’t be anything dreadful,” sighed 
Carol, visions of tragedies because of rats and 
mice rising before her, for she had been warned 
that these rodents were the greatest enemies the 
pigeons could have. 

What really did happen was not at all what 
she expected, but came about principally through 
the doctor and Mrs. Ward, to whom, in a few 
days, Carol took her pigeons to make a call. She 
found her invalid friend with Rosalie beside her, 
although of late Rosalie had not been so great a 
source of entertainment. 

“ See what I am doing,” cried Mrs. Ward as 
Carol entered. “ I am sewing for the Belgian 
children. Some one is sending over a whole lot 
of things, and I am going to make some little 
caps to go with them. Aren’t they pretty? ” 
She held up some little eiderdown caps she was 
making. 

“ They are just fine,” responded Carol. 
“ Why don’t you adopt a Belgian baby? ” 

Mrs. Ward looked distressed. Oh, my dear, 
I couldn’t.” 

‘ ■ I don’t mean really and truly to have it here, 
but do as our troop and the Goldenrod girls are 


280 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 


going to do. We are going to support a little 
French or Belgian orphan and make clothes to 
send it, that’s all.” 

“ Oh, I’d like that; it would be nicer than sew- 
ing for Rosalie, wouldn’t it? I know Hilary 
would give me the money to send. Where is he? 
I want to tell him.” 

“ I will go and look for him in a minute, and 
if he is home I will tell him you want to see him. 
Guess what I have here.” She held up her 
basket. 

“ Something for me? ” 

“Not exactly; for you to see.” 

“ Something alive? ” 

“ Yes, very much alive.” 

“ Kittens? ” 

“No; these have two legs and two eyes and 
feathers.” 

“ Oh, I know; chickens.” 

“ No, my homing pigeons. I want you to see 
them and some day I will leave them with you for 
a while and you can have the doctor feed them 
and then you can send them back to me with a 
note tied to the leg of one of them. They will 
come straight to me and bring the note.” 

“ How lovely! I should like to do that, and 
will you send me a note by them some day? ” 


ADOPTING AN OEPHAN 


281 


‘‘ Yes, that is what I want to do. You mustn’t 
let Sultana get after them and hurt them.” 

“ Oh, never. She is too lazy to be anything of 
a hunter, and they are too big for her to want 
to catch. Some people next door have pigeons 
and she just sits and blinks at them when she 
sees them. It is only little birds that she wants 
to catch.” 

“ I think I hear the doctor,” said Carol, “ so I 
will go and see if he can come up.” She placed 
the basket by Mrs. Ward’s bed, so that she could 
look at the pigeons, and then went to hunt up the 
doctor who had come in. 

“ Well, stranger,” he greeted her, ‘‘ where have 
you been all this while? ” 

“ Oh, I have been very busy. First Dick was 
home, you know, and then I have been devoting 
myself to my homing pigeons. I want you to 
come up and see them. I brought them in to 
call on Mrs. Ward.” 

“ You did? What will you bring next? First 
it was turtles, then a toad and now it is pigeons. 
I fancy she will like them best. What are you 
going to do with homing pigeons, pray? ” 

I am going to try to raise a whole lot to send 
over to France for our soldiers to use. Dick 
says they are of great use in taking messages. 


282 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 


and so he brought me these. They are such 
darlings, so tame. Their names are Uncle Sam 
and Columbia. They have already brought me 
a message from the girls at Camp Bena.” 

“ That looks like business. I used to be fond 
of pigeons when I was a little shaver, had a big 
lot of them. Let’s see what yours look like.” 

They entered Mrs. Ward’s room, and found 
her talking baby talk to the pigeons, who, under 
their net covering, were cuddled together in the 
basket. The doctor surveyed them interestedly. 
“ Good looking pair,” he acknowledged. 

“ Carol is going to send them to me with mes- 
sages, Hilary; aren’t you, Carol?” said Mrs. 
Ward eagerly. “ And, Hilary, I want to adopt 
a Belgian baby and make pretty clothes for it. 
You will give me the money, won’t you? ” 

“ What is this that you have been putting into 
her head? ” asked the doctor, turning to Carol, 
and she explained. 

“ That’s a horse of another color,” he remarked 
when he understood the plan. “ Of course, if it 
pleases you, dear, I have no objections,” he told 
his wife. “ Good thing, too. I wish I were a 
boy and you’d see me going in for homing 
pigeons hot and heavy. We must talk the mat- 
ter up to the Boy Scouts here and get them 


ADOPTING AN OEPHAN 283 

started at it. Just the kind of thing they’d like 
to do. It doesn’t seem to me that the Girl Scout 
project is growing very fast in this town. What 
about it? ” 

“ Why, you see,” Carol told him, “ there hasn’t 
been any one ready to be a captain, but I think 
some one is studying up and pretty soon they 
want to begin.” 

“ The sooner the better. I wish there were 
one in every town in the country.” 

“ That is what we hope for. Every Girl Scout 
is trying to get another girl to join, so you see 
at that rate there should soon be an army of them. 
If I were to leave my pigeons here with you for a 
little while, doctor, do you think you could look 
after them? I want them to fly between your 
house and ours to take messages from Mrs. Ward 
to me. I can leave them here in their basket with 
a message from me, and you can send them 
back.” 

“ I will do it. That is too good a scheme to 
pass over. You leave them here any time you 
want and I’ll see that they are looked after. 
What you going to do with them when you go 
back to the city? ” 

“ That is what is bothering me. I don’t know. 
There is no place for them where we live, and I 


284 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

should be afraid to let them out for fear some 
one would steal them. I suppose I am selfish 
not to hand them right over to the Red Rose 
Troop, but somehow I can’t bear to share them 
that way when they were a present from Dick. 
I am perfectly willing to share the squabs. I 
would be glad to give the troop the first pair of 
young ones. Columbia and Sammy are so 
precious.” 

“ Well, my child, I wouldn’t advise you to 
worry. Some way will be provided. If worst 
comes to worst I will take the pigeons myself 
and look after them for the winter and you could 
take them again when you come up next summer, 
as your mother says she hopes to do.” 

“ Did she say that? I haven’t dared to ask 
her. But, doctor, would you have time to at- 
tend to the pigeons? ” 

“ I wouldn’t need to do it myself. I have 
some nephews who would be delighted to do it. 
I could have a loft set up out here where my 
wife could see it, and it would be an untold 
pleasure to her to watch the birds when the 
winter comes and there are no more flowers to 
see.” 

This relieved Carol’s mind greatly, although 
she hated to think of parting from her pets for 


ADOPTING AN OEPHAN 


285 


SO many months, yet it was better than giving 
them up altogether. She was hoping that a pair 
of squeakers would soon be hatched, and that 
these would be fully enough grown to be parted 
from their parents when she should be leaving. 

She was leaving the doctor’s with her basket 
when she met Lynn Turner, one of the Boy 
Scouts who had been most energetic in getting 
up the show. “ Hallo, Carol,” he hailed, “ what 
you got there? ” 

“ Guess,” said Carol. 

“ A pat of butter and a pot of honey for 
gi’andmother.” 

“ No, Mr. Wolf, not this time. It’s a pair of 
homing pigeons that I have been showing to 
Mrs. Ward.” 

“ Whew! Is that so? I’ve heard about those 
same pigeons. May I have a peep at them? ” 

Carol lifted the lid that he might see Columbia 
and Sammy under the netting. 

“ I say, but they’re great. Where did you get 
them? ” 

“ My brother brought them to me. He is a 
soldier, you know, and he told me they were 
needed on the battle front in France, so I am 
going to try to raise some to send over.” 

“ Isn’t that a stunt? I say, why don’t we boys 


286 A GIEL SCOUT OP EED EOSB TEOOP 

do a trick of that kind? I’m going to put it up 
to them.” 

‘‘ That is just what Dr. Ward was saying. 
Why don’t you do it? ” 

“ Just what I say. Look here, we fellows owe 
a lot to you Girl Scouts. You made those tickets 
go off like hot cakes. How ever did you do it? ” 
“ Oh, it was a great deal easier to do it for 
you than it would have been to do it for ourselves. 
It is always that way, don’t you think? ” 

“ Yes, I reckon it is. But as I was saying 
we’d like to do something for you. Can you 
think of any little stunt that you personally 
would like to have done? for here’s the willing 
steed.” 

“ I can’t think of anything just now except 
to get Granny Ryan’s potatoes dug. You know 
we have that little brown house she lived in and 
we want her to have the crop of potatoes she 
planted.” 

“ She shall have them, though I don’t exactly 
see where you come in on that deal. I shall be 
only too glad to get them out, and incidentally 
to see what sort of loft you have for your 
pigeons. Do you mind if I bring Larry Keith 
along? It is so much more fun when you go 
double like that.” 


ADOPTIKG AK OBPHAK 


287 


“ We shall be glad to see both of you at any 
time/’ 

“ All right. Much obliged,” and Lynn went 
off whistling while Carol took up her line of 
inarch toward home. 

So long as this was visiting day for the pigeons 
she decided to stop in to see the Meginnises. 
Mike was able to creep around now by the aid 
of crutches, and was there leaning on the gate. 
Toby divided his time between his original family 
who now were settled in town and these friends 
who could offer him the attractions of the coun- 
try. He began at once to nose the basket which 
held the pigeons. “ Call him back, please, Mr. 
Meginnis,” Carol said. “ I don’t want him to 
frighten my birds.” 

“ Burrds, is it? An’ what for do ye be thrans- 
portin’ burrds around the counthry in a basket, I 
dunno. To me own moind a cage is a better 
place.” 

“ Oh, but these are pigeons, homing pigeons. 
I thought maybe you would like to see them.” 

“ I would that. Could yez fetch thim inside 
so the old woman can get a sight av thim, too? ” 

‘‘ I certainly can and will. How are you these 
days, Mr. Meginnis? ” 

“ Whist, me dear, an’ don’t be afther astin’ me,^ 


288 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 


for it’s better I am, an’ I am afeard to confess it 
lest I do be worse to-morrow. Just step in.” 

Carol went into the room which in the course 
of time had not been relieved of its cluttery look. 
It seemed to her that the same things always oc- 
cupied the same chairs from week to week, and 
that they never could be used to sit upon. Mrs. 
Meginnis, however, always managed to swoop 
one lot off to pile on some other heap which 
Carol fancied must grow till it toppled over. In 
spite of windows and doors being open a smell 
of cabbage always pervaded the house, and she 
never yet had chanced upon a day when Mrs. 
Meginnis appeared in a clean wrapper. Nora, 
nevertheless, was always in a good humor, and 
took life as it came. No one could come or go 
without her knowing it, and Carol’s pigeons were 
already quite well known to her by reputation. 

“ An’ so ye’ve brought the purty craythers to 
see us,” she said as she came in wiping her hands 
on her apron as always. “ They say ye’ll soon 
be sindin’ letthers to the Prisidint, an’ that he’ll 
be afther replyin’ that same way.” 

Carol laughed. “ Why should I be writing 
to the President? No, indeed, I am going to 
raise homers to send to France, you see. They 
need them there.” 


ADOPTING AN OEPHAN 


289 


** Is it to eat? I’m told they’re that short av 
food they’ll be afther destroyin’ ivery animal in 
sight, even the horses, pore bastes.” 

“ Oh, no, no, not to eat.” Carol was shocked. 
“ They want them to take messages on the bat- 
tle-fields. They can tie a note or an order to 
the pigeon’s leg and it will go straight back to 
its loft, and they get it there.” 

“ Is that the way av it? Do ye hear to that, 
Mike? Burrds fur mail carriers. Will they be 
givin’ thim wages I’d loike to know.” 

“ Oh, no; they work for love.” 

Nora rocked back and forth in high merriment. 
“ Love, is it? I’d like to see how far that ud go 
to payin’ the mail man that do be passin’ here. 
It’s well they’ve diskivered somebody that’ll work 
widout pay, for I’d not be doin’ that same me- 
sel’.” It was Nora’s way to take this attitude 
with Carol, half to tease her, and half because 
she thought it covered her ignorance of affairs in 
the outside world. 

After displaying her pets Carol did not tarry 
long but turned homeward quite willing to drop 
down when she reached there, for a walk of six 
miles at the end of a busy day would weary almost 
any one, even as exuberant a young person as 
Carol Fenwick. 


CHAPTER XIX 


A NEW TROOP 


HE next day it was nothing but company 



-I all day long. First came Lynn Turner and 
Larry Keith to dig the potatoes. They went at 
it with a will but made a long job of it on account 
of stopping so frequently to watch the pigeons. 
About the middle of the morning along came 
Dr. Ward with who but Granny Ryan and Pat 
Juley, whom the doctor had been promising all 
summer to bring out that they might see their 
reconstructed home. Granny appeared almost 
as spry as ever, while Pat Juley, without her 
crutches, showed vast improvement. 

They paused at the porch to admire the flower 
boxes, brave with geraniums and nasturtiums, 
and the hanging baskets filled with wild vines 
from the woods, but their astonishment at the 
interior of the house made them almost speech- 
less for a moment. Granny stared, and Pat 
Juley stared, the latter with mouth agape. 
“ Well, Granny, what do you think of it? ” asked 
the doctor after he had established her in a chair. 

Granny lifted her two hands and shook her 


290 


A NEW TBOOP 


291 


head. “ I’ve niver seen the likes, sorr. I’d not 
belave the two eyes av me, if so be they were not 
in me own head. It’s beyant me how the leddy 
thought av it, I might live a thousand years, an’ 
thin a thousand more, but it ud niver come to me 
comprehinsion, it ud not. The little owld hut 
av a house where I lived turned into a palace loike. 
’Tis like wan av thim fairy tales, ain’t it now, Pat 
Juley? Did ye iver in yer bornded days see the 
loike av it? ” 

Then for the first time Pat Juley found her 
tongue. “ I want to see the other room,” she 
announced. “ I’ll bet it isn’t as fine as this.” 

“ Come along then and you shall see,” Carol 
invited her to the next room. 

Pat Juley gave it one comprehensive glance, 
then cried out shrilly: “ Oh, Granny, come and 
see. They’ve got two beds and all sorts of grand 
things. They got drapes on the wash-stand, an’ 
awful nice curtains.” 

So of course Granny had to come and see for 
herself. She stood in the doorway, her hand to 
her mouth. “ Yez’ll excuse me laughin’,” she 
said, “but it tickles me to see me owld room 
dressed up so grand like. Who’d be thinkin’ that 
annybody could give it the look av a queen’s bed- 
room? ” 


292 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TEOOF 

But it was the little summer kitchen which sur- 
prised her the most. She stood in blank aston- 
ishment looking around, then burst out with: 
“ Glory be! an’ me not so much as knowin’ it was 
there at all, at all. I’m plazed to make the 
acquaintance of yez, Mrs. Kitchen. I niver 
knew ye lived here befoor.” She made a funny 
little curtsey, the more awkward because of her 
leg which was still stiff. Then she stood shaking 
her head and moving her hands up and down to 
express her incredulity. Presently she caught 
sight of Lynn and Larry in the garden. 
“ What’s thim lads doin’ in me peraty patch? ” 
she asked, pointing a skinny finger at the boys. 

“ They’re getting out your potatoes for you,” 
Carol told her. 

“ Is it fur me? An’ who’ll be afther tellin’ 
thim to do it? ” 

“ I did,” Carol explained. “ Lynn wanted to 
know what he could do to help and I told him 
about the potatoes. There is a pretty good crop, 
he tells me.” 

Granny turned to the doctor and laid her hand 
on his arm. “ Doctor, dear,” she said, “ is it be 
chanst it’s dhramin’ I am? Or mebbe I’m losin’ 
the little wits I have. Would ye tell me, doctor, 
aisy like, whether I’m in me sinses.” 


A KEW TROOP 


293 


“ You’re in your right senses all right,” re- 
plied the doctor sturdily. 

“ Thin I’m thankin’ hivin I broke me leg, for 
there’s more good thin bad that’s come av it.” 
She turned to Mrs. Fenwick. “ It happens that 
ways sometimes, ma’am. More than wanst in me 
loife has good come out av evil, so ye need niver 
bemoan the cornin’ av misfortune, for whilst it 
often wears a sad face, loike as not there’s a smile 
behind. Look at me an’ Pat Juley, me a 
gi’ubbin’ in the woods an’ gittin’ little fur me 
pains; her all drawed up with the stroke; an’ 
comes along misfortune, as yez moight say, whin 
I falls an’ breaks me leg. Is it misfortune? It 
is not, for look at the two av us, me as well as 
iver an’ makin’ me livin’ joost doin’ nothin’ at all, 
at all, but passin’ away the toime knittin’, and the 
choild there t’rowin’ away her crutches an’ gittin’ 
livelier ivery day, praise God, an’ his blessin’ be 
upon yez all.” 

“ Well, Granny,” said the doctor, “ that is 
quite a sermon on a good text and we will all take 
it to heart. Are you ready to go now? I must 
be getting back.” 

Whiniver it plazes ye, sorr.” 

“ Does it make you homesick. Granny, to see 
the place again? ” asked Carol. 


294 A GIEL SCOUT OP BED EOSE TEOOP 

“ It does not thin. Barrin’ the woods IVe 
nothin’ to be homesick about, and I’m more con- 
tint where I am wid a mort av neighbors to pass 
the toime av day wid, not to say a bit av gossip 
wanst in a whoile. I’d Nora Meginnis here, to 
be sure, but there’d be days in winter whin 
niver a human would I see savin’ the choild 
here.” 

“ I suppose Nora has been telling you about 
what we were doing out here, so it couldn’t have 
been so much of a surprise after all.” 

“ Sure Nora’ll be tellin’ me, but Nora’s a bit 
av a joker, an’ niver a wurrud av it did I belave. 
I thought she was but thryin’ to intertain me wid 
her wild tales.” 

“ Have you heard from your son lately? ” Mrs. 
Fenwick asked. 

“ Joost a pictur’ card, ma’am, wid the name av 
some outlandish place upon it, so where he be I 
know no more than befoor. So long as he is 
doin’ his juty I’m not askin’ more.” 

The doctor was at the door with his car, and 
just as she was getting in Granny Ryan said over 
her shoulder: “ Will ye be afther tellin’ thim lads 
out there to lave a few av thim peraties in the 
ground joost for lucky an’ if yez come upon them 
unbeknownst like ye’ll not let thim go to waste, 


A NEW TEOOP 


295 


but joost put thim in the pot wid yer name on 
thim.” 

Carol understood this delicate way of offering 
a gift of the precious potatoes, and promised to 
tell the boys. Then Granny was borne away 
and Carol danced out to the potato patch to see 
how the boys were getting along and to give 
Granny’s message. 

The boys laughed as she repeated it word for 
word, and promised to obey instructions. “ But 
please don’t leave too many,” Carol said, “ for 
we can get all we want from Mrs. Meginnis, who 
is only too glad to sell them. How much more 
have you to do, boys? ” 

Lynn leaned on his hoe and surveyed the 
ground they had worked over. “ Well, we have 
done more than half,” he decided. 

“ But you won’t finish by dinner time, will 
you? ” 

“ No, but that doesn’t matter. We can either 
come out again or we can fill up on some of your 
apples ; I see there are a lot on the ground.” 

“ I know a better way to serve them than that,” 
said Carol. “ You take dinner with us and we 
will give you some apple dumplings.” 

“ Oh, but ” Larry began to protest. 

“ Now don’t say a word,” Carol interrupted 


296 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

him. “ We don’t get the chance of having com- 
pany every day and we should love to have 
you.” 

“ You are sure? ” 

“ Sure.” 

“ How about your mother? Perhaps she will 
sing a different song.” 

“ I am sure she will love to have you. I can 
vouch for my mother, for I know how she feels 
about such things.” 

“ Well, then, on one condition,” agreed Larrj^; 
“ we will stay if you will let us help.” 

‘‘ Make the dumplings or eat them? We will 
gladly allow you to do your share of the eating.” 

“ You can count on us for that, but what I 
meant was that you must let us do things like 
bringing in wood and water, and helping with the 
dishes.” 

“ Very well, you may do the bringing in of 
wood and water, although there isn’t much of 
either to do, for we have an oil stove and the 
pump is right there in the kitchen. As to the 
dishes, I will see what mother says.” 

“ Oh, I’m an expert on the dish question,” de- 
clared Larry, “ for I often do them at home when 
we have no maid, which is oftener than my 
mother likes.” 


A NEW TROOP 


297 


Carol sped back to the house after telling the 
boys that she would notify them when dinner was 
ready. She ran into the living-room exclaim- 
ing: “ The boys are going to stay to dinner. Do 
you mind, mother? They haven’t finished and 
meant to dine off of apples. Don’t you think I 
did right to ask them to dine with us instead? 
It seemed so inhospitable not to.” 

“ Of course you did right. I should be sorry 
to have them go hungry after working so 
hard.” 

“ Don’t you think apple dumplings would be 
nice and filling? If you will make the crust I 
can do all the rest. Boys love apple dumplings. 
What else can we have? There will be plenty of 
stew, won’t there? And your stews are so 
delicious.” 

“ There will be an abundance. I can boil some 
rice and make some of that thin corn bread, which 
I think with the dumplings will be enough. We 
can open some of those pickles Dick likes so much 
and perhaps you can find some more tomatoes to 
slice.” 

“ They always come in well, don’t they? I 
will go and look for them as soon as I have pared 
the apples. Do you suppose there could pos- 
sibly be any more corn? It would be so fine to 


298 A GIRL SCOUT OF RED ROSE TROOP 

have, for it is so easy to cook and Avould be mighty 
good with the stew.’’ 

She made haste to prepare the apples while her 
mother went to work to make the crust for the 
dumj)lings, then she went out again to the garden. 
The tomatoes were few and far between, having 
been gleaned quite regularly, and Carol con- 
cluded that those left were too green to use, so 
she examined the little patch of corn and was 
lucky enough to find several nubbins. 

“ What you getting? ” called Larry, as he saw 
her among the corn-stalks. 

“ Corn for your dinner,” she replied. 

“ Want me to help get it? ” 

Carol laughed. “ It doesn’t seem to come by 
the bushel, but I am finding a few nubbins which 
look pretty good.” She carried in her small 
harvest, and in due course of time the dinner was 
ready. To say that the boys enjoyed it gives a 
very faint idea of their gastronomic powers, for 
when they had finished there was nothing left 
but a very limited amount of the hard sauce used 
for the dumplings, and a little of the pickle. 
Any one who knows the capacity of a boy of 
fourteen or fifteen will not be surprised at this 
statement. They insisted upon helping with the 
dishes, so Carol shooed her mother out of the 


A NEW TEOOP 


299 


kitchen where they meant to work and the three 
had a merry time of it. Then the boys went 
back to their work, feeling themselves well for- 
tified. 

The dishes were scarcely put away, and Carol 
ready to establish herself on the shaded porch 
with her mother, when she saw an automobile ap- 
proaching. “ I verily believe that is Mrs. Keith 
and Miss Dawson coming,” she announced. 
“ There is some one else with them, but I don’t 
seem to recognize her. This certainly is our 
reception day.” 

Mrs. Keith had called upon them several times, 
and they had found in her a kindred soul. It 
was she who was most interested in the forming 
of a troop of Girl Scouts in Brookbush. She and 
Carol, as well as Miss Lardner, had had several 
talks about it. Miss Dawson was the prospective 
captain, and was a niece of Mrs. Keith’s. 

Carol went out to meet the callers at the gate, 
and found that the third one of the party was 
Mabel Stewart, a girl of about her own age. 
“We have come out principally to talk about 
our Girl Scouts,” said Mrs. Keith, after greeting 
Carol. “ Miss Dawson you know, and this is 
Mabel Stewart, who is ready to become a Tender- 
foot as soon as possible. I am going to talk to 


300 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

your delightful mother while you three pow-wow 
about the new troop. I drove the car out my- 
self, for I don’t know what has become of that 
boy of mine. He told me this morning that he 
was going to do some Scout work to-day with 
Lynn Turner, and I haven’t seen him since. He 
didn’t come in for dinner.” 

“ If you want very much to know where he is, 
I can show him to you,” said Carol smiling. 

Mrs. Keith looked a little surprised. This did 
not seem exactly the place where he would be 
doing Scout work, but when Carol took her to 
the end of the porch and pointed out the two boys 
at work in Granny Ryan’s potato patch, explain- 
ing what they were doing, she took in the situa- 
tion. “ Well, my dear,” she said, “ I couldn’t 
want him to be doing a better thing, could I? ” 
She returned to the other end of the porch to 
join Mrs. Fenwick. The two established them- 
selves with their knitting and settled down for 
a comfortable talk while the three girls betook 
themselves to a grassy spot where they could 
discuss the subject nearest their hearts. 

Miss Dawson was a little, dark, eager-eyed 
person, evidently full of energy and purpose. 
Mabel Stewart was fair and blue-eyed, with a 
sweet, earnest face. Carol liked her on the spot. 


A NEW TEOOP 


301 


We are really ready to begin,” Miss Dawson 
said. “ There are half a dozen girls waiting to 
be enrolled. We have chosen the daisy as our 
troop flower, and we are to have our meetings in 
the Sunday-school room of our church, so you 
see we have only to start off.” 

“ I think that is splendid,” said Carol enthusi- 
astically. 

“ We thought,” Mabel spoke, “ if you could 
come in to our first meeting it would somehow 
give us all confidence, for you know the ropes so 
well.” 

‘‘ It would be such a help,” Miss Dawson 
urged. “ We have really been doing Scout work 
all summer. Those girls who have not had 
gardens of their own have helped others, then 
they have done a lot of canning, have dried fruits 
and vegetables, but they don’t know much about 
marching and signaling and those things.” 

“ We certainly did think your troop marched 
well,” Mabel spoke up, “ and we did envy you. 
We think the wigwagging, too, is so interesting. 
Is it very hard? ” 

“ Not so very, if you put your mind on it, but 
you have to concentrate, of course, and practise 
real hard.” 

“ You will come in, won’t you? ” Miss Dawson 


302 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 


repeated. “ We thought, since you know about 
the marching, that maybe you would just start 
the girls off the first time/’ 

“ Why, of course I will be glad to,” replied 
Carol cordially. “ Being patrol leader I have 
had to do some Tenderfoot training, so I might 
be able to help you.” 

“ That is just what we thought, and we want 
the benefit of your experience. It is awfully 
good of you to come,” said Mabel. 

“ I owe some of my training to my brother,” 
Carol told them, “ for he puts me through my 
paces whenever he comes from camp.” 

“ Have you ever really marched in a parade? ” 
asked Mabel. 

“ No, not yet, but we shall in the next one there 
is a chance for.” 

“ I should think it would be perfectly thrill- 
ing.” 

“ That is what I think. It was the Wake up 
America parade that first gave me any knowl- 
edge of the Girl Scouts. I was so thrilled when 
I saw them I could scarcely contain myself.” 

“ The thing that first impressed us was your 
troop,” Mabel told her. “We saw you march- 
ing, at least some of us girls did, then we heard 
about your camp and all the wonderful things 


A NEW TEOOP 


303 


you were doing, so we were just crazy to get up 
a troop.” 

“ Well, I am mighty glad you have done it,” 
returned Carol. “ There can’t be too many of 
us. Miss Lardner says, especially in these war 
times, for we can really help to win the war. 
Doesn’t that give you tremendous inspiration to 
pitch in and do whatever you can, with the other 
girls to help? You see you can do lots more 
banded together than you can as just individuals, 
for you don’t have to fuss around in a bewildered, 
picky sort of way. Your captain tells you what 
to do and you do it, then the other girls come in 
with ideas that you can take up, and so it goes.” 

“ Well, it is fine, just fine,” said Miss Dawson 
enthusiastically. “ To be of real, material use 
to our country at such a time is worth while, 
and that outside of the use girls can be in other 
ways.” 

Just then the two boys, who had finished their 
work in the garden, came running over to where 
the girls were sitting. “ Well, I vow,” cried 
Larry, “ how long have you been here, and how 
did you come? ” 

“ We’ve been here about half an hour,” Miss 
Dawson told him. “ How long have you been 
here?” 


304 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

Larry laughed. “ Pretty near all day, and 
we’ve had a high old time watching the pigeons 
and digging Granny Ryan’s potatoes. We had 
a corking good dinner, too. Apple dumplings ! 
Um-um, don’t say they weren’t fine! How 
many did I eat, Carol? I know it couldn’t have 
been less than three.” 

“ Now, Larry, I don’t believe any human boy 
could.” 

“ Then you don’t know much about human 
boys, for that was besides all the rest. Well, but 
you see, we are hard working men, and one must 
live. Who brought the car out? Not you.” 

“ No, your mother did. She is on the porch 
with Mrs. Fenwick.” 

“ Good! We boys can run the car in and take 
you. I wonder if there wouldn’t be room for 
some of Granny Ryan’s potatoes. We might as 
well deliver what we can to-day and come out for 
the rest another time.” 

“ I know what that other time means,” said 
Miss Dawson laughing; “ you are hoping for 
more apple dumplings.” 

“ That is base calumny. I never thought of 
such a thing,” retorted Larry. “ How did you 
happen to come along, Mab?” He turned to 
Mabel. 


A NEW TEOOP 


305 


I Have been wanting to come all summer to 
see Carol, and now that the summer is nearly 
over I have just got here. We came to ask her 
to come in to our first Girl Scout rally, and help 
us, officially, to get started.” 

“ You’ve really organized then? What shall 
you call yourselves? ” 

“ We’ve taken the daisy for our troop flower, 
so if you please you will remember that we are 
members of Daisy Troop of Brookbush. We 
decided upon the daisy because it is so truly a 
rustic flower, and we are not city girls, so we 
thought it would be very appropriate.” 

“ That’s all right. I like daisies myself. 
When do you start the ball rolling? ” 

“ Friday at three. We forgot to tell you that, 
Carol. Does that suit you? ” 

“ Most any time suits me. I’ll be there.” 

“ Mother,” Larry ran toward the porch, “ are 
you going to use the car Friday afternoon? And 
if you are not, may I have it to bring Carol in to 
the town? They are going to have their first 
Girl Scout meeting and she must be there.” 

“ Of course you may take it for such a good 
cause,” replied Mrs. Keith, coming down the 
steps, stuffing her knitting into her bag as she 
came. “ Where is Lynn? Are you ready to 


306 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 


take us back? I am not very keen about running 
the car, you know.” 

“ Lynn’s back there bagging potatoes. Can 
we take one bag in the car, do you think? 
There’ll be plenty of room in front, and we want 
to deliver them to Granny Ryan.” 

“ Take them by all means. Our car is for use 
rather than show. Are you ready, girls? ” 

Larry ran back and presently he and Lynn 
came, tugging the bag of potatoes which they 
hoisted into the car. “ Hope you don’t mind. 
Cousin Hattie, or you, Mab,” said Larry. 
“ This is a strictly utilitarian parade. Lynn, if 
you find yourself too crowded, you can just stand 
on the running board. It is a question between 
you and the potatoes which shall have the right 
of way on the front seat. I have to drive.” 

“ Oh, I can manage,” declared Lynn. “ I’d 
rather stand on the running board than not.” 

So they went off with many charges to Carol 
not to forget Friday afternoon. She and her 
mother stood at the gate watching the car go 
along a yellow-f ringed way to the road. “ The 
goldenrod is everywhere,” said Carol. “ It is 
beautiful, but it makes me sad to see it, for it 
means that the summer is nearly over.” 


CHAPTER XX 


LAST THINGS 

T he fields and meadows were a glory of gold. 

Down by the little stream the asters nodded 
to their doubles in the water below. In Granny 
Ryan’s little garden there were only withered 
vines, bare corn-stalks, and the undaunted 
weeds which still defied the coming of cold 
weather. Inside Carol and her mother were 
packing up, for these were their last days in the 
little brown house. 

“ Are we to take these small glasses? ” asked 
Carol from behind the curtain of the shelves 
which held their dishes. 

Her mother’s voice, coming from the depths 
of a barrel, answered, “No, we shall not need 
those.” 

“We are leaving quite a lot of things, aren’t 
we? ” said Carol, coming forward with her hands 
full. 

“ We may as well leave all the things we are 
not going to use during the winter, so they will be 
here when we come up next year. We can cover 
them up and they will be perfectly safe. What 
307 


308 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 


did you do with the silver, Carol? I shall put 
that in my trunk.” 

“ It is all there on the table. I do love to have 
you say when we come up next year. Aren’t you 
awfully sorry that we are going, mother? ” 

“ Not altogether. You wouldn’t like to spend 
the winter here, would you? ” 

“ Oh, no, of course not. I suppose we have 
to go some time or other. I shouldn’t mind it if 
it were not for the parting from Columbia and 
Uncle Sam, but it just breaks my heart when I 
think of leaving them.” 

“ But think what a happiness they will be to 
Mrs. Ward. You will have to comfort yourself 
by thinking of that. Then you will have the 
young pair. You can transfer your affections 
to them.” 

“ I never could do that,” sighed Carol. “ Of 
course I would rather the doctor and Mrs. Ward 
would have my darlings than any one else, but I 
am so afraid they will forget me.” 

“ They will soon get used to you and their old 
home here when you bring them back next sum- 
mer. In the meantime there will probably be 
another pair or so for Mrs. Ward to become in- 
terested in. I think it is a very good arrange- 
ment all around.” 





don’t move. 


I WANT TO TAKE A SNAP SHOT OF AOU AND 'THE 
PIGEONS*’ 



r 


LAST THINGS 


309 


“ I promised Dick that I would send Bomb 
and Bullet to France, so I shall have to wait for 
a second hatching to give a pair to our troop/’ 

Mrs. Fenwick did not answer. Her thoughts 
were away off in France, where her boy would 
soon be going. 

“ Shall I take down this curtain? ” asked Carol. 
“ The others are all down.” 

“You may as well leave it up,” returned her 
mother. “We can leave the dishes right on the 
shelves and cover the whole thing up with news- 
papers. Are there any more kitchen things? 
There is a little more room in this barrel.” 

Carol went out in the kitchen to see. It was 
still mild in spite of there having been a hoarfrost 
on the ground that morning. She opened the 
door which led to the garden. The pigeons came 
fluttering down, strutted about and cooed their 
appeal to be fed. Carol took up a handful of 
their feed, and knelt down. The pigeons 
alighted on her wrist and began to peck away 
fearlessly. 

“ Stay right there. Don’t move,” cried a 
voice. “ I want to take a snap shot of you and 
the pigeons.” 

Carol moved her head enough to see that it 
was Margery who was standing there, but she 


310 A GIBL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 

kept her position till she heard the click of the 
camera. Then, the birds having eaten most of 
the food, she scattered the rest on the ground. 
“ Why, when did you get here? ” she asked 
Margery. 

“ Just came. We are an advance guard. 
The others are coming this afternoon. Miss 
Merritt, Dorothy Towers and I came in the car 
with mother and Aunt Lou. They have been 
wanting to see our camp ground, and this was 
their last chance. They went right back, and 
left us to get things started. I want to take 
some more snap shots, Carol. Could I have one 
of you standing with the pigeons strewn some- 
where over your person? ” 

Carol was only too glad to accede to this re- 
quest, so another was taken of her standing with 
one pigeon on her shoulder and another on her 
arm. Margery was not satisfied without several 
more, and used up her whole roll of films upon 
this subject. 

“ You shall have prints of them all,” she prom- 
ised. “ I think they make really fascinating 
pictures. I see you are breaking up housekeep- 
ing, Caro. Is there anything I can do to 
help? ” 

“ Oh, no, thank you, not anything. The worst 


LAST THINGS 


311 


is over. We shall leave quite a good many 
things, for we expect to come back next year.’’ 

“ Isn’t that lovely? I hope we shall all come 
back. I believe we are to share the camp ground 
with the new Daisy Troop, but that will be all 
the livelier. How are they getting on, Carol? 
I suppose you see them every little while.” 

“ They are getting on beautifully, and are so 
interested. I have been able to help at two of 
their rallies.” 

“ And I’ll venture to say you did help ; you are 
that kind. It’s meant a lot to our troop to be 
thrown with yours this summer. Most of us 
were so used to being helpless do-nothing sort 
of creatures that we really didn’t know how to 
be useful till we became Girl Scouts and learned 
a thing or two. When are you leaving, Carol? ” 

“We go to-morrow, at least my mother does. 
She is going down to start things at our apart- 
ment, and will leave me here to come down with 
the troop. She would rather do that way, and 
so long as this is our last week-end of camping 
this year she didn’t want me to miss it.” 

“ That’s fine. I am so glad you can stay. I 
must be trotting back. I told Miss Merritt that 
I wanted to take the pictures, but that I wouldn’t 
stay. See you this evening? ” 


312 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 

“ Perhaps so, for a little while/’ 

Margery went off, and Carol spent a few 
minutes longer with her pigeons. That after- 
noon she meant to take Columbia and Sammy to 
their new home. Bomb and Bullet would go 
with her to the city, and later, perhaps, the service 
in France. She took these two younger ones into 
her lap and sat talking to them while the parents 
hovered around. The tears gathered in Carol’s 
eyes as she thought of parting from them all, then 
that more poignant thought of soon parting from 
Dick made the tears fall fast upon the shining 
heads of the little youngsters. 

Her mother came to the door and saw her 
sitting there with drooping head, saw the falling 
tears. “ Why, daughter,” she said, “ is it as bad 
as that? Are you really crying at parting from 
your pets? ” 

“ It isn’t that altogether,” answered Carol. 
“ I was thinking of Bomb and Bullet over there, 
and that made me think ” 

Her mother compressed her lips and lifted her 
hand protestingly. “ Don’t! ” she cried sharply, 
and went back into the house. 

“ How mean of me,” murmured Carol. 
“ Here, when I should be helping mother to bear 
her trouble and should be cheerful, I act like a 


LAST THINGS 


313 


silly baby.” She sat for a moment winking away 
her tears, then she put the young pigeons back in 
their loft and went in with her eyes still wet with 
tears but with a smile on her lips. “ Mother,” 
she said, half hysterically, “ won’t it be splendid 
when Dick comes home a hero? How proud we 
shall be of him! I wonder if his grandchildren 
will talk of him as proudly as we do of our grand- 
father.” 

Her mother looked at the glowing face, at the 
slim tall figure of the girl to whom her three 
months of outdoor life had brought added height 
and fresher color, and she realized that besides 
these things other and finer ones were coming to 
her daughter. “ I hope it will be so, Carol dear,” 
she said quietly. 

In another minute Carol had gone into the 
next room. Her mother heard her opening and 
shutting drawers and dashing around in her 
usual impetuous way while she packed her trunk, 
softly singing the while: “ Pack up your troubles 
in your old kit bag, and smile, smile, smile.” 

“ Bless the child,” whispered her mother. 
“ Whatever happens I need not fear for her cour- 
age. She will be a great comfort.” 

Even when the time came that Carol placed 
Columbia and Sammy in the dark basket to take 


314 A GIRL SCOUT OR RED ROSE TROOP 

them to the doctor’s there was not a trace of any- 
thing but high determination in her expression. 
Her dark hour was over. For the rest she would 
hold herself well in hand. “ Good-bye, mother,” 
she called out from the gate. “ I am not going 
to stay long. The girls will be coming along 
presently. I shall watch out for them and walk 
out with the crowd from town. It will be fine to 
have their company.” 

She found Mrs. Ward eagerly expectant and 
the doctor scarcely less so. “ The darling 
things! ” exclaimed Mrs. Ward. “ I shall have 
such a lovely time watching them. Show her the 
pigeon cote, Hilary.” 

This the doctor was quite impatient to do, for 
he was very proud of it. “ Had it made accord- 
ing to my own directions,” he told her as he dis- 
played the roomy loft and flying cage. “ My 
nephew Jim, and Larry Keith, across the way 
here, are going to help me look after things, so 
you needn’t fear your pets will be neglected.” 

“ You will have to see to it that they don’t get 
away,” Carol told him, “ for they will fly straight 
back to the little brown house, although Larry 
and Lynn are going to take down the pigeon cote 
and put it inside so as to keep it safe for next 
year.” 


LAST THINGS 


315 


“No fear of their getting away, for they will 
take their exercise in the flying cage. IVe no 
notion of setting them at liberty to have them 
stolen. You see I have the cote placed so that 
my wife can see pretty much all that goes on 
from her window.” 

Carol loosed her pets after kissing the top of 
each pretty head, and left them to make acquaint- 
ance with their new home, then she went back to 
Mrs. Ward. She was determined to be as cheer- 
ful as possible, at least outwardly. “ Isn’t it a 
fine house? ” she said brightly. “ I am afraid 
they will be putting on airs, for it is much finer 
than the one they have left.” 

Mrs. Ward laughed. “ I don’t believe they 
will,” she returned. “ Hilary, show her the 
picture. I want you to see the photograph we 
have of our adopted boy, such a dear little fellow. 
His name is Adolph Monnier. He is a Belgian. 
See, this is the little frock I am making for him.” 
She held up the small garment proudly. “ It is 
so nice to have a real baby to work for. Rosalie 
doesn’t outgrow her clothes, nor wear them out, 
as this child will do, so now I shall always have 
somebody to sew for.” 

She chattered on happily till Carol said she 
must go, then she put up her face to be kissed. 


316 A GIEL SCOUT OF BED EOSE TEOOP 


She was so like a child herself, so sweet, so easily 
pleased with trifles. 

The doctor was at the foot of the stairs when 
Carol went down. He took her two hands and 
looked down at her with a fatherly smile. “ Sun- 
shine is a great thing, a great thing,” he said. 
“ I am not going to say good-bye for I shall see 
you again.” Then he let her go. 

At the corner she met Mabel Stewart in her 
new uniform. “ Where are you going? ” Carol 
hailed her. “ And why are you wearing your 
uniform? I didn’t know you had a rally to-day.” 

“ We haven’t exactly,” Mabel beamed at her, 
“ but we are all going to the cars to meet your 
troop and the Goldenrods, and escort them 
through the town.” 

‘‘ What fun ! ” cried Carol. “ I am on my way 
to meet them, too.” 

“ Then we can go right along together. We 
are to meet at the car station. How, do you like 
me in my khaki? ” 

‘‘ You look fine,” Carol answered heartily. 

“ I’m so proud of it, and do you know, I think 
we shall soon have another patrol, for of course 
each one of us has been trying to get others to 
join our troop. I can tell you right here that it 
hasn’t been a very hard task, for the girls are 


LAST THINGS 


317 


crazy to come in. They think we have such good 
times, and so we do. We never have done so 
many lovely outdoor things as we have done this 
fall.’’ 

“ And you will do just as many this winter. 
You have such chances out here.” 

“ I know we do. There comes the car, Carol. 
We shall have to sprint if we mean to get there.” 

They started off at a good pace and managed 
to join the other girls just as the car came up 
crowded with Carol’s friends. As they stepped 
from the car, Daisy Troop formed in line, and 
gave the salute, feeling quite thrilled at this op- 
portunity of greeting fellow Scouts. Troops 
Red Rose and Goldenrod answered the order of 
“ Fall in,” and soon the three troops were march- 
ing through the town, the newest one making a 
great endeavor to march as well as the city girls. 
They did pretty well, too, and were cheered all 
the way. They were to be entertained at a grand 
rally at Camp Bena that night, so at the edge of 
town they turned back and allowed the two older 
troops to proceed on their way unattended. 
When they were well out upon the country road 
Miss Lardner allowed her girls to break ranks 
and to pair off as they would. 

Of course Helen and Carol naturally sought 


318 A GIEL SCOUT OP BED EOSE TEOOP 

one another and were soon talking as fast as their 
tongues would wag. There was a lot to tell on 
both sides. “ Tell me,” said Carol, “ have you 
heard anything about our adopted child? Have 
we found one yet? ” 

“ Yes, and that is one of the things I have been 
crazy to tell you about. We wanted one named 
Rose after our troop if we could find one. You 
know we decided that we would rather have a 
girl than a boy. Well, we have found her. She 
is named Rose Leroux, and is about three years 
old. Miss Lardner has a picture of her to show 
you.” 

“ I am wild to see it. Have you started to 
make anything for her? ” 

“ Some of the girls have. I haven’t yet. Just 
think, Carol, if each girl in the two troops were 
to make one garment that would be thirty-two 
pieces of clothing. Isn’t it wonderful how much 
we can do by clubbing together in that way? ” 

“ It is indeed. Tell me some more news.” 

“We have made a new song. Miss Starr 
helped us with it, and we think it is fine. Girls, 
girls, let’s sing the new song for Carol.” 

“ All right,” they all enthusiastically agreed. 

“ It goes to the tune of ‘ Mighty like a rose,’ ” 
Helen informed her. 


LAST THINGS 


319 


Carol felt rather set aside as they began to sing. 
Her own troop, and a new song which she was 
not familiar with ! That was something that had 
not happened before and the thought did away 
with some of her regret in leaving the country 
and getting back to the city and her old associa- 
tions. She made up her mind that she would 
not be long in learning that same song, for she 
did not mean to be left out of things again. 

“ Here goes,” cried Helen, and they all 
started up with: 

“ We're a troop of Girl Scouts. Everybody knows 
When they see us coming that we're Troop Red Rose. 
In our suits of khaki, with military tread 
We step out like soldiers with uplifted head. 

We've a gallant captain, a lieutenant true, 

Our patrol leaders are just true blue. 

We're a troop of Girl Scouts ; 

Everybody knows, 

When they see us coming. 

That we're Troop Red Rose. 

** We've a camp at Brookbush, Bena is its name, 

Ev'ry time we reach there we are glad we came. 
Hikes we take ; we wigwag ; berrying we go ; 

Games we play ; you're way out if you think it's slow. 
Round the cheerful fire tales we love to tell ; 

Songs we sing, though doubtful if we sing them well. 
We're a troop of Girl Scouts ; 

Ev'rybody knows. 

When they see us coming. 

That we're Troop Red Rose. 


320 A GIBL SCOUT OF BED BOSE TBOOP 


Under summer heavens study we the stars, 

Wonder if they see us Vay up there in Mars. 
Honest, loyal, thrifty, useful, helpful, pure. 

Kind, obedient, courteous, patient to endure. 

Cheerful when she’s working, cheerful at her play. 
Cheerful, cheerful always, that’s a Girl Scout’s way. 
We’re a troop of Girl Scouts ; 

Ev’rybody knows. 

When they see us coming. 

That we’re Troop Red Rose.” 

At the end of the second verse Carol was able 
to join in the refrain, and when the song was over 
she begged that Helen would lend her her copy 
that she might write off one for herself. “ I 
don’t mean to be left out next time,” she said. 
She was a little jealous that the girls had been 
able to get up a special troop song without any 
assistance from her. Really one could scarcely 
blame her. 

It was a jolly, rollicking company which 
romped around the fire that evening. The Daisy 
Troop insisted upon sending out refreshments 
which came in the form of a huge freezer of home- 
made ice-cream and quantities of cake. It was 
highly appreciated in spite of being rather chill- 
ing for a night which was somewhat cool. How- 
ever, by means of the big fire and energetic games 
they all managed to keep warm enough, for it 
would take more than ice-cream to chill their 


LAST THINGS 


321 


spirits. They kept up the fun till Miss Dawson 
whistled her troop together and they started back 
to town, singing as they went. Carol went with 
them as far as the little brown house, in which 
she would spend her last night for many moons. 

She went bouncing in, bright-eyed and rosy- 
cheeked. Her mother was sitting before an open 
fire which gave the room the only touch of com- 
fort it possessed after being denuded of all its 
attractive appointments. 

“ Well,” said Mrs. Fenwick, as Carol crouched 
down beside her on the hearth, “ did you have a 
good time? What did you do? ” 

“ We caroled carols, Carol saith, and of course 
we had a blissful time when Margery was there.” 

“Nonsensical child! Don’t you remember 
that Dick is always telling you that punning is 
the lowest form of wit? ” 

“ I know it,” returned Carol placidly, “ but 
the question is: Shouldn’t one exercise any form 
rather than none at all? I am always being told 
that one should not despise the day of small 
things, and if one never tries to be witty even in 
a small way, how can she expect ever to improve? 
You cannot improve a thing that you never do, 
you know.” 

Mrs. Fenwick laughed. “ Your arguments 


322 A GIEL SCOUT OF EED EOSE TEOOP 


are beyond me. I don’t think we need discuss 
the question just now, but go right to bed, for 
we must be up early. There is a lot to be done 
before I can get off.” 

“ Blessed mother,” Carol rose to her feet in 
order to lean over to kiss her mother, “ I am 
afraid you are all tired out. I wish you would 
let me go in with you to-morrow.” 

“ No, dear, it isn’t at all necessary, for I have 
sent a post-card to Martha Gates and she will be 
on hand to do all the hard things. Let’s bank 
the fire.” 

“ And say good-night to it. There is quite a 
pile of embers. I will cover them up well so we 
can have toast for breakfast. How forlorn the 
place does look.” She stood for a moment 
gazing around before going to the next room. 
“ I think after all I am glad we are going.” 

Another day and work and play divided the 
time about equally, and then farewell to Brook- 
bush, the little brown house and Camp Bena. 
What the winter would hold for them who could 
tell? But that they would face troubles bravely, 
deal with one another honorably, play heartily, 
no one could doubt who knew the ideals of these 
girls, and who had watched their sincere efforts 
to obey the laws of the Girl Scouts. 


LAST THINGS 


323 


Not only was Daisy Troop on hand to see them 
off, but the Boy Scouts were there, too; so was 
the doctor, with Pat Juley in his car beside him, 
and Toby as well. They had not long to wait 
before the trolley car came in sight; fortunately 
it was never very full at this point of the route. 
The girls began to file in. “ Come back soon! ” 
cried their friends of Daisy Troop. “ Come 
back!” shouted the boys. “Come back, all of 
yez! ” shrilled Pat Juley. “ Bow-wow! ” barked 
Toby, wishing to take part in all this excitement. 
“ Good-bye and come back! ” called the doctor, 
standing and waving his hat as the trolley car 
moved off. Then those left behind heard the 
strains of : 


“ We’re a troop of Girl Scouts ; 

Everybody knows, 

When they see us coming, 

That we’re Troop Red Rose.” 

“ That’s as fine a set of girls as I want to see,” 
said the doctor, addressing the group of boys and 
girls. 

The car sped on. Fainter and fainter grew 
the song. At last there was only the echo; 
“ Troop Red Rose.” 


By jinry E. Blanchard 


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Illustrated. Cloth. $ .75 each net 

Atso books in the Girts* TBookshetf 



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